5th Annual Student Leadership Conference Highlights Mental Health Awareness

Students at the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) hosted the 5th annual Student Leadership Conference this May in a multi-day online event that explored one of the most important issues facing Americans today: mental health.

Entitled Mental Health: Increase awareness, reduce stigma, educate, the five-day conference featured a series of talks, led by both CUNY SPS students and community leaders from outside the School, that sought to help student leaders shatter stereotypes, explore interventions, and perhaps most importantly, understand how this issue impacts their communities—and themselves.

The opening keynote address, given by Anita S. Daniels, associate commissioner at the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), set the tone for the conference. During her talk, Daniels explained that to reduce the stigma of mental health challenges and to help people to access support, each student needed to become an ally in mental health—particularly to those in need of support. 

“We become allies by becoming educated about what mental health disorders are, by supporting someone who may be faced with a mental health challenge, and by being available, kind, open, and resourceful,” Daniels said. “We become allies by being an advocate standing up when someone is being discriminated against, standing up in educating others when they are perpetuating a mental health myth. And lastly, we become allies by practicing our own mental wellness.”

The rest of the conference was designed to spur participating students to become mental health allies, or to grow in this role. Breakout sessions focused on topics as such hidden disabilities; the mental health crisis in adolescents and young adults; technology and anxiety; work stress; and the intersection of social justice and mental health in the black community, among other topics.

Organizers of the conference, which included a committee of 4-5 faculty, students, and staff, commented on its successful format and presentations.

Leah Chajeczkis, enrollment bursar director at CUNY SPS, reflected, “Our students are amazing and their resilience was on full display as they took the time to participate in this year’s conference. The sessions were engaging, and all walked away with a better understanding of the importance of mental health.”

Some of the other organizers saw the conference as a way to foster individual empowerment.

Reshma Jaigobin, student development and leadership coordinator, noted, “I am a believer in the self—in breaking the stigma and bias within ourselves, so we can make changes in the world….I hope that attendees walked away with a greater awareness of their own emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and give attention to the areas that need it.” 

For Martina Davis, a student in the School’s Research Administration and Compliance MS program, the conference provided tools to help students with their social justice work. “As an advocate for underserved communities, the conference has given me more insight into the importance of mental health for all walks of life,” said Davis. “...I will incorporate much of what I’ve learned into my awareness programs for the marginalized—or anyone who can benefit from the information.”

The conference, which spanned five days and ten separate sessions (including keynote), attracted over 100 attendees from across the CUNY SPS community.

Since its launch in 2018, there have been four prior Student Leadership Conferences, covering such themes as What are the Goals of Social Justice? (2022); Leading, Coping and Thriving through Crisis (2021); Leadership in the Digital Age (2019); and Women and Minorities: The New Majority (2018). Originally a one-day event hosted by the CUNY SPS Student Association and the School’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, the conference has since evolved into multi-day sessions organized by the Student Leadership Conference Committee with input from the wider student body.

About the CUNY School of Professional Studies

As New York's leading online school since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor's and master's degree options at the City University of New York, and serves as the University's first undergraduate all-transfer college. With 26 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor's degree, progress from an associate's degree, earn a master's degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its online offerings, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School's renowned and affordable online programs ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.

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