Oscar Arellano was drawn to the sign spelling out “HOPE” that stood next to booths set up by the Student Wellness Center. Sentiments such as “You matter.” and “There is still hope!” covered the white cardboard, put there by students of the past.
He stopped by to talk to the therapists that oversaw the booths. Because of his experience working in a psychiatric clinic he found an interest in their cause.
After he learned about what they were doing he went to put a message of his own on the sign.
He wrote, “You are always loved and needed” in honor of his cousin, who took his life after he lost his battle with his suicidal thoughts.
“One thing that I found out later on was he pushed himself away from the family, thinking that no one would notice it,” he said.
“Sometimes we alienate ourselves from our loved ones and we feel like they don’t need us here. In reality, you’re always loved and needed wherever you are, wherever you go.”
On Wednesday the Student Wellness Center honored Suicide Prevention Awareness Month outside the Campus Center Mall with its Hope Signs Suicide Prevention Awareness Event, where it aimed to support people who are silently struggling and fight stigmas surrounding suicide.
The event was organized by Nadine Henley, mental health supervisor at the Student Wellness Center, and lasted from 10 a.m. to noon.
They set up two booths, each containing activities and resources, and a big arrangement of letters that spelled out “HOPE” that was propped up beside them. They had encouraging notes written by students the year before, flyers that contained mental health resources and educational material, a basket of various souvenirs and coloring pages with positive affirmations.
Henley and her intern therapists were also present to let visitors know where to receive help in times of need and how to help people who are suicidal.
Half of the “HOPE” sign was filled with writing from past years.
“The importance of doing this is that a lot of our students—and just college students in general—sometimes feel like they’re alone when they’re having thoughts and that nobody would care if something happened to them. And that’s absolutely not the case,” Henley said.
“Family, friends and communities everywhere would feel the loss of them dying by suicide. And so we want to make sure that we’re providing a space and support, but raising awareness as well.”
Christian Espinoza, a Citrus student majoring in psychology, was one attendee.
He partially attributed his visit to the Hope Sign Event to the thought of his friend, who was once hospitalized after an attempted overdose. At the time, no one—not even he—saw it coming.
“I guess he was just dealing with a lot and it surprised me. It surprised everyone,” he said.
“It’s something you don’t really see or you can’t really tell.”
Arellano said that advocating for suicide awareness was important to him, so he took an interest in the Wellness Center’s cause.
Suicide is more of an issue in the community than people realize.
“I think that working at Citrus College the last four years; it is a topic that comes to our space often and often requires support.” Henley said.
There are many students like Arellano and Espinoza who’ve been impacted by suicide in one way or another, and many others who fight suicidal thoughts themselves.
That was something that Dr. Anthony Contreras, vice president of the Board of Trustees, acknowledged when he stopped by to thank the Wellness Center for their work.
For the students struggling with suicidal ideation, he went to the HOPE sign and wrote: “Tomorrow needs you!”
“Even if we help one student, that alone is well worth it,” he said.
And that, in essence, is what the sign was designed to accomplish.
“If you look at the HOPE sign, you can see the messages people wrote, and someone’s gonna write one, and they’re gonna see one that drew their attention and they’re gonna carry that with them for the next day,” Arellano said.
Henley said that she thought that the event turned out well, but she won’t be limiting her efforts to just September. For many students their battles with suicide and suicidal ideation are yearlong.
“Here in our department, we do know that students are struggling with their thoughts and we want them to know that they’re not alone,” she said.
“Normalize it, but also give them a space where they feel seen and heard and supported by their peers as well as our campus.”
To them, every life saved is a win.
Students who are in need of professional help can schedule up to eight free therapy sessions per term with the Student Wellness Center by calling 626-914-8671.
They can also call the Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988.
For LGBTQIA+ people in distress, The Trevor Project is available at 866-488-7386
Click here for more information about the services the Student Wellness Center provides.
