Galloway, N.J. – For the second year in a row, Stockton University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) department hosted the IMALIVE Mental Health Fair in the Campus Center on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

According to Brooke Zall-Crawford, director of Stockton CAPS, the success of last year’s fair demonstrated how helpful it was to showcase the various mental health resources available to students on and off campus.

“Last year, we had students answer the question, ‘Who would you go to for help?’ and they actually listed the counseling center and some of their professors, whom we then reached out to let them know,” Zall-Crawford said. “They were ecstatic to know that somebody thought of them and knew they would be there for help. The fair also made us more aware of the importance of training both staff and faculty about mental health and suicide prevention. We hope this will be a yearly thing, going forward.”  

With the support of the Alton Mental Health Initiatives Fund, students had the opportunity to meet with and get to know the Wellness Center’s peer educators and participate in various mental-health-themed activities, culminating in a raffle for a prize. These activities included anonymous secret sharing, games that educated participants on different mental illnesses and symptoms, and a positive affirmation poster.

Dakota Gansert, a Communication Studies major from Upper Township, appreciated how “attention-grabbing” the fair was. 

“It's getting students to come up, read resources and participate, so I think it's really cool,” Gansert said. “Personally, I attend therapy on campus, so I like learning more about the resources we have around here on and off campus, and it'll be nice to learn some more about that.”

Queen Trofel, a Political Science major from Queens, New York, seconded her notion, adding, “Mental health is something everyone needs to deal with, because we’re all going through something at the end of the day.”

Karen Alton, the granddaughter of Elizabeth Alton, who led the campaign that resulted in the state founding then Richard Stockton College, has worked with the university’s foundation to launch the fund, which sponsors events and programming like the IMALIVE fair.

She, along with her dog, Scotty, perused the tables and shared that the fund originated from her desire to learn more about mental health and its impact on students following the COVID-19 pandemic. It is her hope to support this generation of students not just academically but also emotionally.

“Hopefully, through events like this and others, students will, as they say in suicide prevention, come out of the darkness, and recognize any issues they may have because they will eventually be our community leaders,” Alton said. “They are going to be in our communities, so we want to start early mental health education so that they know who they can reach out to and reduce the stigma.”

Students on the Atlantic City campus will be able to join the fair on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the John F. Scarpa Academic Center’s lobby and second floor. 

– Story and photos by Loukaia Taylor 

Counseling Services Hosts IMALIVE Mental Health Fair

October 16, 2024 

Galloway, N.J. – As music filled the Campus Center Grand Hall, students gathered in front of the various tables lining the hallway on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

At first glance, nothing was out of the ordinary, as there’s always a fair with giveaways happening this time of year.

However, the tables carried more than the standard fare of free pens and stress balls – students walked away talking about different symptoms of over 20 types of mental health conditions, or with marker and pen ink all over their hands from writing some of their deepest and darkest secrets on an anonymous wall.

Some left with brochures full of mental health resources and a raffle ticket that they earned after visiting every table, while others walked with friends and giggled about the positive affirmations they came up with as they filled in a canvas full of others. 

This is no regular event — it’s the IMALIVE Mental Health Fair, an initiative that Brooke Zall-Crawford, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, thought would be a perfect way to expose Stockton students to the many different mental health resources available to them, both on and off campus. With help from the Karen Alton Mental Health Initiatives Fund, Zall-Crawford and her team of student volunteers hosted this fair in both Galloway and Atlantic City. 

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