For years, talking about mental health on college campuses has often felt like a forbidden subject. But at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a student-led organization is changing that culture by creating a welcoming space built on community, creativity, and open education.<\/p>\n
Bring Awareness to Mental Health (BAMH), a group originally started at El Paso Community College (EPCC) in September 2019, has grown into a campus resource focused on breaking down social stigma and connecting students with help before crises happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to destigmatize the conversation around mental health, especially for young people who are just starting their life,\u201d BAMH President Isabella Luna said.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the organization\u2019s roots, Luna notes that their founders originally wanted to ensure the message stays the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat people knew that there was nothing wrong with having a mental illness, with feeling symptoms of any mental illness,\u201d Luna said.<\/p>\n
To keep students engaged, the group has moved beyond traditional meetings. Today\u2019s gatherings feature hands-on activities like vision board collages and painting sessions, alongside visits from mental health experts, such as an upcoming guest speaker from Texas Tech.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not only doing this for the rest of the students on campus, [but] we also want our actual members to have a good experience with us,\u201d Luna said.<\/p>\n
Many members bring valuable perspectives from their own studies. Secretary of BAMH Ana Villalobos, a junior studying rehabilitation science, notes that the organization teaches students how to recognize when a peer might be struggling quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMental health is not always visible,\u201d Villalobos said, encouraging students to come to meetings. \u201cIn order to get a more, like, a deep perspective of what mental health really is, and what the signs are, even if the disability is not visible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tackling these conversations in the borderland also means facing deep-rooted cultural habits.<\/p>\n
Leaders point out that traditional pressures, such as expecting young men to hide their emotions or dealing with traditional concepts of machismo, can stop people from asking for help out of fear of judgment and being labeled.<\/p>\n
BAMH addresses this head-on by encouraging students to view counseling not as a last resort, but as a healthy, normal outlet for anyone who needs to talk.<\/p>\n
Emily Grijalva, a sophomore nursing major, emphasizes that making emotional well-being a priority matters.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never know what somebody\u2019s going through,\u201d Grijalva said, urging students to learn more about the organization. \u201cAdvocate for it, or for somebody who you know, who might be going through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the fall semester begins to take off, BAMH is stepping up its outreach. In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month, members are hosting interactive tabling events with handmade signs, helpful pamphlets, and community resources.<\/p>\n
They are also organizing creative fundraisers, including a bake sale called \u201cStress Spelled Backwards is Desserts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through every event and conversation, the organization is working toward a simple goal: making sure no UTEP student ever feels alone again.<\/p>\n