Imagine, it’s your senior year of college. You’re set to graduate — but you’re dreading it.
The four long years of intense study, exams, late nights, early mornings finally come to an end.
A cause for celebration, right?
Wrong.
Many of today’s graduating class — who’ve given so much of themselves to coursework, clubs, part-time jobs, internships, and more — can’t help but feel anxious, rather than celebratory, about what comes next.
Unfortunately, students from all over, from all backgrounds feel the same way.
In spring 2023, the highest rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality were reported by the Healthy Minds Network, a research organization focused on mental health among adolescence and young adults.
In the 15+ years of the survey, which asks undergraduate and graduate students about their mental health, researchers saw the pinnacle.
From 2015 to 2022, the percentage of students who reported depressive symptoms more than doubled. Since then, findings show improvement — but only slight, decreasing from 44% in 2022 to 38% in 2024.
The findings galvanized researchers and campus mental health professionals to dig into these issues further and muster resources to help students.
Afton Storno, Outreach Coordinator and Staff Therapist at Kennesaw State University, is among those searching for answers and taking action.
As a therapist on campus, she’s worked with students over the past decade but says today’s graduating class faces a unique set of obstacles.
“With all the students I’ve seen throughout my career here, this a very special population — and I say that in the most heartfelt way,” she said. “These are students who have been through so much economically, personally, and have had to make so many shifts… It’s ruptured their ability to develop.”
Due to poor mental health, many students withdraw from school, stressing a higher education system that’s already burdened with declining enrollment.
Recognizing the gravity of the problem, Storno and the Counseling and Psychological Services Department at KSU launched its Virtual Wellness Academy for students, faculty, alumni, and the broader campus community.
The goal of the Academy is to prepare participants for the future and promote resilience.
And it’s gaining momentum.
Amid Declining Mental Health Nationwide, KSU’s New Program Brings Hope to Students
Many students at Kennesaw State University are the first in their families to graduate college. Because of this, they don’t have a family member or close relative to ask what it’s like on the other side — meaning, post-graduation.
“They look at what’s being said on the news, what their friends are saying about their possibilities after graduation,” Storno said. “When they come into my office, they’re feeling pretty down and out because they don’t see a whole lot of opportunities for themselves.”
Launching the Virtual Wellness Academy was a direct response to students’ anxiety toward the future. Disclaimer: KSU works with Skillsoft to offer the Academy to students, using Percipio.
It provides a step-by-step way for students to build social skills and confidence in preparation for their professional careers, which Storno says is essential for a generation that experienced disruptions to their education, intermittent isolation and elevated levels of stress during the pandemic.
Those who gain access to the Academy will find a mix of digital resources — like courses, assessments, and more — that will help them develop their skills in these areas: leadership, problem-solving, interpersonal communication, professionalism, adaptability, teamwork and emotion intelligence.
These are all skills that Storno says are necessary for students to have when entering the workforce. “A lot of companies nowadays are looking for connectivity,” Storno said. “They want to see students as a good team member.”
In this way, the Academy offers a win-win scenario to students and their future employers:
For Students — Students gain access to a virtual, on-demand curriculum that will help them prepare for their futures. The Academy will help them build in-demand, highly transferable skills.
For Employers — Employers will recruit highly skilled professionals who leave campus with confidence.
The benefits of the Academy will ripple throughout campus, providing more tools to faculty, campus organizations, mental health professionals, prospective students and others. All of these cohorts can use the Academy to supplement their efforts, whether that’s in-class instruction, one-on-one sessions, or student-led activities.
To judge the Academy’s success, Storno will lean into the data gathered in the platform. She’ll look at students’ engagement, their ability to apply what they’ve learned and their feedback. Over the long term, however, she’s interested in how this Academy will affect career progression and job placement.
“This is a very heartfelt project for me,” she said. “I want students to feel more confident and to bring about more hope among students.”
To Reverse the Trend, Universities Must Face the Problem Head-on
Many students walk through Storno’s door and express their fears. Some say they’re afraid of walking into a classroom late or raising their hands to ask questions. They fear the judgement of their peers and professors. In some cases, this pressure builds and deters students from attending class altogether.
This is a generation of students whose lives are often spent online. Unlike generations that came before, being in person — even talking on the phone — isn’t as comfortable.
Despite these fears, many students wait or forego seeking help. For example, at KSU students often wait until their senior year to step into a counselor’s office because of a longstanding stigma surrounding mental health.
“There are so many suffering in silence and don’t know where to start when asking for help,” Storno said. “With the intensity of the workforce, they are facing a lot in front of them, and I think they know that.”
And that’s exactly why Storno pushed for this Academy. It supports the department’s mission to help students prepare for the future by building the skills they will need.
The department is taking every measure it can to spread the word and encourage students to seek help.
Thankfully, they’re not on this mission alone.
Storno is working with marketing classes on campus to launch peer-led efforts to raise awareness of the Academy and other services available to students. Part of the goal is that students connecting with their peers may help quell the stigma of therapy and normalize discussions about mental health.
The department is participating at several events on campus to spread the word, get feedback and meet students where they are. Along the way, those in the department share resources on social media, especially Instagram, to show up in places familiar to students. It’s all done in the name of making these resources as accessible as possible.
Taking these steps will help address the issue head-on. It’s programs like these that will make a difference in the lives of students who want a better future for themselves and would benefit from extra support.
However, more universities must follow suit. To collectively reverse this trend of declining mental health, it’ll take campus communities nationwide to help students embrace their future.
“My goal is to bring about more graduating classes that feel confident going out into the workforce, knowing their skills and who they are as a person are valuable,” Storno said.
