New Herron student health and wellness initiative gets its first peer ambassador

In recognition of the growing concern about mental health amongst college students, Herron School of Art and Design is proud to announce the establishment of a new Health and Wellness Student Ambassador, a dedicated role designed to support mental health and wellness initiatives at Herron. Ella Teipen, a Visual Communication Design major entering her sophomore year, will act as the first ambassador and will serve her peers by being a leader and champion for mental health and wellness within the Herron community. Her goal is to make a significant impact on Herron’s student body by fostering a culture of well-being, providing peer-to-peer mentorship, promoting campus wellness resources, and working with Herron faculty and staff on wellness efforts both in and out of the classroom.

"Students at Herron tend to form a strong, close community with each other," says Shannon McCullough, Herron's Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs. "We've seen how much our student leaders can help with the social and emotional well-being of their peers, so adding a role focused on mental health just for Herron students will be a positive and, hopefully, a welcome addition to their support network."

With the help of recent graduate Michaela Di Palmo (B.S. Music Therapy ‘24), who served on both the IUPUI (now IU Indianapolis) Chancellor’s Student Mental Health Council and the IU Student Mental Health Council, Teipen developed a plan for the fall that will include health and wellness-focused events and peer mentoring.

HERRON: Why is something like this needed for college students in particular?

ELLA TEIPEN: We're definitely seeing a need in our country for more mental health resources. College students especially have it hard because this time of life involves such a big transition and they're not close to their support systems anymore.

HERRON: Why would students need a student ambassador as opposed to a professor or somebody in Student Services?

ELLA TEIPEN: If a student is more comfortable reaching out to a professor or an advisor in Student Services, they should definitely do that! But sometimes it just feels like another barrier to reach out to your professor or someone in administration; it might feel like they won't really understand what's going on, or it might be uncomfortable to talk about personal stuff with a professor. So we thought it would be a good idea to set up an option for students where they could talk to someone on their level who might better understand their situation.

HERRON: If a student wanted to work with you, or take advantage of the mental health and wellness resources at Herron, how would they start?

ELLA TEIPEN: Students can either set up a private appointment with me, or they can show up to my office in Student Services at Eskenazi Hall during open hours. We'll have more information on the open hours soon. Students can start seeing me right away by contacting me at eteipen@iu.edu.

HERRON: If a student came to see you, would they receive counseling, or resources, or something else?

ELLA TEIPEN: That's a good question, and an important distinction to make. I'm not a doctor or a therapist, I'm just another student. I'm just like one of them if they need someone to talk to. Sometimes it's helpful to have someone who is not in their friend group or just someone who has had some different experiences to talk to. I'm just here to listen; if they do need counseling, I can help connect them with those kind of resources on campus.

HERRON: If a student is in a mental health crisis, where can they find help?

ELLA TEIPEN: Students in crisis can call an Indiana University Indianapolis' Counseling (CAPS) crisis counselor at 317-274-2548 or capsindy@iu.edu. They can also reach out to their local hospital emergency department or call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If it's not an emergency situation, and a student wants me to assist them in connecting with CAPS or any other support line for mental health, I can definitely help them do that. But if it's an emergency situation, students should go straight to CAPS or their local hospital emergency department.