Scholar Category: Mental Health

Jazmyne Ewing

Major: Health and Exercise Science

Project: I’m thinking of pursuing Mental Health Awareness within CSU’s community. There could be some improvement in the CSU health network by providing a fund for the inclusion of more people of color to counsel. The system that the health network uses currently is time-consuming and difficult to understand for many students seeking help.

Inspiration: I’ve always struggled to reach out for help, so trying to get myself to go to counseling was incredibly difficult. I’ve been to the CSU health network at least three times since being in college and still haven’t received adequate help. The appointments take a minute to make, the appointments are inconsistent, I was with a different counselor almost every session, and I felt like there wasn’t any diversity amongst the counselors I spoke to. So, as a black woman. I didn’t feel comfortable in a place where I was supposed to feel safe.

Future Plans: I’d want people of color who struggle to fit into the CSU community to get the right counseling service they deserve. I’d also hope that having a fund would help boost the chances of people going to get help. This would also make the school look better in terms of the action they take on what’s important.


Aracsi Abrego

Major: Psychology

Project: In my Puska Pathway project I am looking for mental health areas. Specifically going into sexual assault awareness and domestic violence. I would love to work towards and find new ways to aid people and families in these intense situations.

Inspiration: This social issue sparked a passion inside of me because of my own history with sexual assault I wish I could have known what to do or who to turn to for help and different ways to find the solution to my problem. As for domestic violence, my mom has had a history of domestic violence and one of the main things that kept her in the situation was not knowing what to do or who to ask for help.

Future Plans: I hope to create first of all more awareness around these social issues but also to help find new ways to fight for the people who are going through situations like this. Also, find ways to give free mental health help to families.


Alexis Campos

Major: Entrepreneurship

Project: At the moment, the topics I am circling on are advocating for mental Health Awareness and Artistic Expression. However, I am thinking of merging both because I believe they can both be tied together.

Inspiration: I want to emphasize the importance of self-expression for the well-being of mental health, and a good and healthy way to do so is through art. The core sense of self and art are closely related. Art helps us all. It is very beneficial for us as it is a form of expression that fosters our natural need for self-expression and fulfillment to communicate feelings and sentiments towards anything. The world becomes a better and happier place to live in via the power of art. Art is all around us and open for interpretation, leaving a big void to fill, and allowing us all to get involved.

Future Plans: I consider art to be highly positive and the highlighter on the text of life, so I want to increase the inclusivity of all artists, especially among my community, family, and neighborhood, and immeasurably extend an artist’s standard without limitations. I want to significantly enable art creation as a healthy and accessible outlet of expression and shed new light on the art world.


Jusiah Alarcon

Major: Engineering

Project: Helping kids get out of gangs and better their lives.

Inspiration: Because I was once in their shoes, I used to be like that but I changed… so they can too.

Future Plans: To show kids that it is not the only option, we can break the cycle.


Hyab Tekeste

Major: Business Administration – Concentration in Accounting and International Business

Project: The primary problem that my research aims to address is the complex interplay between acculturation, co-ethnic ties, and their impact on substance use among immigrant students in the United States

Inspiration: I was inspired by personal experience. As an immigrant student myself, I had trouble adjusting to life in the U.S. and turned away from my culture towards some negative influences. I’ve noticed this as a common thing in immigrant students my age and wanted to understand it a little more.

Future Plans: I hope to create more effective support programs in schools and communities so that healthcare providers can be more understanding of the unique challenges immigrant students face.


Ronda Duerson

Major: Neuroscience

Project: For my putska pathway and project I want to volunteer or create a program that helps veterans’ mental health and more recourses for on-campus life that veterans have more access to and are aware of programs that can benefit their overall well-being.

Inspiration: What inspired me to choose this project was because of my dad he served in the military and I was going in and out of the hospitals with him I have seen how much the military impacted his life physically and mentally and the lack of resources he had access to he passed away from cardiac arrest which brings me interest to help others.

Future Plans: I hope to help veterans and hopefully support them with their mental health by creating a program or bringing more awareness to programs that already exist on campus.


Jose Gutierrez

Major: Cinema Studies

Project: Practically what I stated over on the top, doing a documentary and using the power of storytelling to be able to bring a community together. With a sense of belonging as well as connecting to points to hopefully bring about possible solutions to said problems.

Inspiration: Well I love movies, and I hope to become a filmmaker one day. Doing this project not only connects my passion but also focuses on areas of mental health and communities that I know struggle and come from similar backgrounds as me.

Future Plans: I hope to make an impact with storytelling, allowing people to heal.


Miguel Eduardo Lopez

Major: Construction Management

Project: Working with an organization that has mental health as a main focus

Inspiration: A personal struggle I dealt with and would like to help others with

Future Plans: Help people with mental health issues overcome their obstacles in a safe and healthy way.


Nour Zouhou

Major: Studio Art

Project: I hope to develop a project to celebrate, protect, and project the voices, identities, and stories of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people through the arts and literature. I would also love to explore this with a focus on Arab/Arab American identities.

Inspiration: I have always navigated the world through stories. Whether through books, movies, cartoons, or graphic novels I have been able to make the experience of my world richer by indulging in the creativity and stories of people from all stretches of life even if I was just at home. Art is powerful and it has moved me to care for so much of our world and I hope that I can contribute to that so that our world can be more compassionate, fun, and equitable.

Future Plans: I hope that whatever work I choose to do helps strengthen communities, fights against erasure, and moves LGBTQ+ and BIPOC resistance and pride forward.


Jay Keodonexay

Major: Psychology & Gender and Women’s Studies

Project: I am currently working with a few different organizations in Colorado to create safe spaces for LGBT and BIPOC youth and allies to learn and gain access to resources. I’ve also started my own art business where I donate proceeds to local organizations that amplify QTBIPOC voices and share resources like transition funds and clothing swaps that are helpful for those in need

Inspiration: I grew up with my grandparents who immigrated to the US during the Vietnam War. Because of this, I didn’t have access to the education and support that I needed as a queer transgender man and it made growing up really hard for me. Through an online community of Trans and queer individuals, I was able to get the support I needed to be able to be the most authentic version of myself and knew I wanted to do the same for others.

Future Plans: I hope to create safe places for youth to gain the knowledge and support they need to be the best versions of themselves. Finding ways to make healthcare (both mental and physical) more accessible, connecting with the community, and sharing resources that are helpful, but hidden, are my big goals