2018-2019 College Track Annual Report CT_AnnualReport_2019 | Page 8

Social-emotional wellness is a critical,
but too often overlooked, piece of
the college completion puzzle.
As our country’s demographics continue to shift and
income inequality deepens our social and cultural
divides, the need to focus on student well-being is
paramount. This is especially true for first-generation
students from low-income communities, who place
immense pressure on themselves to succeed. In some
cases, they step onto college campuses with the
added stress of multigenerational trauma, poverty,
and imposter syndrome. * If our students do not see
themselves represented on campus or have access
to the support systems necessary to navigate higher
education, they are far more likely to withdraw before
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completing their undergraduate education. OUR DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH
The number of all college students seeking wellness To meet the needs of our students, College Track
services on campus has nearly doubled since 2014, launched a strategic wellness program in 2017 designed
and yet many campuses offer only one counselor for to build and nurture students’ social-emotional
every 4,000 students. ** A majority of College Track’s competencies. In partnership with Wellness Directors
inactive students cited issues relating to stress, and local organizations, we coach our students on a
isolation, depression, and anxiety as the reasons they variety of skills, including decision-making, navigating
dropped out of college. Left unattended, these issues social interactions, stress management, and self-care.
can stay with students through young adulthood, Our model also incorporates staff training on how to
impacting not only their ability to graduate from appropriately evaluate a student’s level of wellness and
college, but also to achieve self-agency and purpose. recommend evidence-based interventions.
*”How University Leaders Can Empower the ‘New Majority’ Student,” Gallup.com, Lyon, K., and Tom Matson, 2019
**”As stigma ebbs, college students seek mental health help,” Associated Press, Binkley, Collin, and Larry Fenn, 2019