As conversations about mental health are expanding nationwide, Quincy University’s students are making sure these discussions are taking place on campus.

Quincy University started its own NAMI club during the 2024-2025 school year. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization that includes over 650 state organizations and affiliates. NAMI is dedicated to building a better life for people affected by mental illness. QU students have come together to form their own NAMI club, created to promote awareness of mental health for students.

The club first started when the university received a grant from the Tracy Family Foundation, and Emily Cook, a QU Success Coach who is passionate about mental health awareness, felt eager to be the supervisor of the club.

“The club’s main mission is to engage the student body and make a positive impact. We talk about the things that are not always talked about, that involve mental health, because generally it can be a very sensitive or stigmatized topic,” Cook said.

College can be a significant time of transition. Students go from living at home with their parents to being on their own. Students can easily experience loneliness and get wrapped up in being a student or an athlete. NAMI gives students a way to access mental health resources and bring a positive light to campus.

“We do a bunch of different wellness activities all over campus to help clear people’s minds and feel calm. We have done BBQs, paint nights, lunch-ins, and other activities. We are always looking for fun ways to help people, even if they are small,” Kaden Buchholz, NAMI member, said.

QU’s NAMI club focuses on the wellness wheel when planning events. This includes considering physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, environmental, and financial wellness. They set up affirmation stations, bring in speakers, hold a “Wellness Week” leading up to finals, have goat yoga, and more. NAMI also advertises “wear green” Thursdays to support mental health awareness on campus.

“It’s very important to have clubs like NAMI around campus so you don’t fall into a hole of depression while missing your family. Meeting the right people and going to events and activities led by these clubs is what helps the most during rough times,” Mackenzie Emmons, QU student, said.

QU’s NAMI club advocates for a stronger environment for students to feel safe while dealing with issues and getting past the stigma of mental health. QU NAMI has a board of representatives to ensure everyone can contribute to ideas and meet once a month to discuss events.

Cook added that it is not about talking about obscure mental health disorders, but more about being someone on campus who recognizes that people are going through a lot. Anyone wanting to be a positive light can join at any time.

On college campuses, it is easy to see students rushing between classes, practices, and even jobs. What people do not see is the weight of personal struggles carried by each student.