Chukwudi Nwoko
Chukwudi Nwoko, a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Earth Sciences at Kent State, is working toward a doctorate in applied geology, environmental geochemistry and mineralogy. He is also vice president of the International Student Council at Kent State. A native of Nigeria, Nwoko started a volunteer organization there that provides a platform for community-based mental health support and awareness. People gather in groups to provide companionship and an atmosphere for healing. Over food and drinks, they share their mental health experiences and support one another. He wants to give that same support to people at Kent State, too.
I had just finished high school, and I had a perfect picture of how my life was supposed to go. But then I faced a couple of delays, and it went longer than I thought it would. A lot of people in my life were moving forward, and I was left behind. I found that I had slipped into this very bad space, and I was disconnected from everybody. I was really upset, and I pretty much did not recognize myself.
That went on for a couple months, and I remember thinking that I wished I knew a group of people who were going through a similar situation so we could just trade stories. I鈥檇 seen in Hollywood movies how people would sit in groups and talk about what they were experiencing. And I thought maybe I could set up that kind of platform in Nigeria.
So, I started in December 2018 just to get everyday people together who were looking for a safe outlet to talk about mental health issues and listen to other people share their stories, as well. Over the past five years, we鈥檝e gotten feedback about how it鈥檚 helped people appreciate what mental health support should look like and talk about what resources are out there when it comes to mental health.
I鈥檓 better off now, but I still sometimes get a feeling of being left behind, especially when things don鈥檛 go my way. Over the years, I've grown. Now I have support. I have resources. I know where to look if that kind of feeling comes back. Now, when I have to deal with similar situations, the first thing I do is go to my support system. And then I also try to analyze, what鈥檚 the big picture here?
I鈥檝e come to understand that disappointments will always pop up. Things don鈥檛 always go the way I think they鈥檙e supposed to, and that鈥檚 fine. I鈥檝e come to terms with having more than one plan.
We live in a society that is just coming to understand mental illnesses and how they can be prevented. It鈥檚 smart to invest in your mental health before you actually need help, sort of like insurance before an accident happens. I think having a safety net鈥攌nowing that when I have an episode, these are the people I can talk to and these are the resources available for me鈥擨 think that鈥檚 actually a big deal.