At the beginning of spring quarter, SFCC welcomed a new club revolving around community and support to those with mental health needs. Open to all students, Echoes creates a space for connection, discussion, and information.
The club was founded by SFCC student Kaydence Robinette, who also acts as club president. She reflected on personal and observational experiences when recognizing the need for a mental health club.
“I wanted to make the club to hopefully prevent people from getting to a certain point in mental illness and not have to spend so much money on things that could be really beneficial,” Robinette said.
Along with other outstanding factors, Robinette focuses on the burdened cost of mental health support and resources that can be overwhelming for students. Backing up her inspirations to forming Echoes, Robinette provided a demographic perspective.
“If you look at general statistics in America, rates of mental illness are increasing, although we don’t have a lot of support in place that doesn’t cost money,” Robinette said. “When looking at SFCC demographics, you can see in the chart that the most people we have here are in that range where mental illness peaks. So with all of these multiplying factors, it didn’t make sense to me that there wasn’t a mental health club.”
Finals week is just around the corner, and Echoes has started to explore ways to support students in academic related stress and anxiety. Academic success coach Theo Valentine, a friend of the club, shared the importance of this focused support specific to a college environment.
“I think that having coping skills, learning how to concentrate, learning how to do the time management, all of that is really preventive in mental health,” Valentine said. “And the more you can do to create that balance and that self-care and how to do the self-care correctly, the more that people can thrive in their studies.”
Valentine is an academic success coach specific to SFCC’s shared space, The Circle, located in building 16, room 134, where Echoes holds its meetings each Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. Valentine said that The Circle’s environment compliments the mental health club, and further encourages students to check out the space.
“It’s a place that students can come in, even though it is designed for certain programs, it’s designed for everybody,” Valentine said. “And we’re willing to help.”
With Echoes being at a current milestone of 4 weekly meetings, club officers say they have recognized a low participation rate and a lack of club members. With the club being new, Robinette continues to encourage students to learn about the club and its resources.
“I would recommend students go to one meeting. And you don’t even have to stay the whole time, we just want to spread useful information,” Robinette said. “The goal is not for this to be stressful or an addition to your long list of to-dos. It is supposed to be something that you enjoy and want to go to.”
Valentine, who has also recognized varying participation rates, gives support to the club in its new beginning.
“There’s so many directions where they can go,” Valentine said. “They’re at the very beginning stages of being a club. It’s new, and it’s gonna be a space that can adapt to the needs as people are joining and as people are going.”
Echoes has filled current officer positions, with Robinette as president, Katelynne Arcie as treasurer, and Skyler DeArth as activities board representative. They are still in search of a club vice president and secretary to fulfill officer positions. Club president Robinette encourages students who want to apply for any position to email sfccclubechoes@gmail.com.
Arcie, who has been present to every meeting, shares their experience of the club from a leadership and participant perspective.
“It’s been great,” Arcie said. “There’s a lot of thought put into each lesson every week. It’s always thought out. And we always try to put the needs of our club members first.”
