Nic, a native of Greenport, New York, and a member of the sailing team, committed to the event’s purpose by running shirtless and encouraging other participants to write encouraging messages and the names of friends and loved ones whose mental health battles inspire them on his body in marker. He also noted his appreciation for barefoot culture at Eckerd, running the 5K without shoes.
Executive Director of Counseling, Health and Advocacy Services Mindy Anthony Spolski, who joined the College this summer, worked with Green and Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Sarah Duren to organize the event. In addition to noting the many resources available to the Eckerd College community in mental health, she also explained why these resources matter so much on a college campus.
“Between the ages of 18 and 25 is when most people have their first depressive episode, their first anxiety episode, or people disclose some kind of past trauma or abuse,” Spolski said. “Most traditional college students are between the ages of 18 and 25, so it makes sense on a college campus that you would see more mental health, and contributing to that is being away from family and friends, making adjustments, and academic pressures.”
Spolski also noted that the number of students who travel far from home to attend Eckerd makes robust mental health support from the College especially important. The student body comes from 48 states, more than 30 countries, and additional U.S. territories, and approximately 80% come from outside Florida.
Source: www.eckerd.edu
