Responsibilities: Championing the well-being of engineering students through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and a supportive campus culture. April leads efforts to embed wellness into the fabric of engineering education—advocating for balance, resilience, and success.

Why do you believe mental health should be talked about in engineering?
April: Student success depends on more than just academic performance. Engineering programs are fast-paced, high-pressure, and often come with a culture of perfectionism that can take a serious toll on mental well-being. When our students feel supported they’re more likely to stay engaged, persist through challenges, and reach their full potential. Prioritizing mental health helps our future engineers develop the resilience, focus, and creativity needed to succeed in both school and their careers. Well-being is the essential foundation for long-term success.

A quote or mantra that helps April stay grounded or resilient:  
"Keep doing the good work, even when it feels tiring—because in time, your efforts will bear fruit, as long as you don’t give up."

Describe how mental wellness supports good engineering.
April: Engineering is challenging—it takes focus, creativity, and serious problem-solving under pressure. When your mind is in a good place, you're better able to think clearly, work through challenges, and actually enjoy the process. Mental wellness helps you stay motivated, bounce back from setbacks, and collaborate without burning out. It’s not just about surviving the workload—it’s about doing your best work and feeling good while doing it. When engineers take care of their mental health, they build better things—and better versions of themselves. 

Responsibilities: Working within both EWC and TRACS to provide individual therapy, triage evaluation appointments, crisis evaluations, referral/linkage and manualized solution-focused wellness plan sessions.

Why do you believe mental health should be talked about in engineering?
Joshua: Despite the high rates of engineering students screening for depressive and anxiety symptoms, they are less likely to seek help compared to other academic majors. This trend may be reinforced by engineering's "culture of stress", expecting students to face their rigorous coursework with stoicism and grit. It's important to talk about mental health in engineering to destigmatize the subject and to encourage distressed students to effectively seek help.

A quote or mantra that helps Joshua stay grounded or resilient: 
"Hard to see the light now. Just don’t let it go. Things will come out right now. We can make it so." - from the musical Into the Woods, written by Stephen Sondheim

Describe how mental wellness supports good engineering.
Joshua: We know from studies done within UK Engineering that increased mental health distress often accompanies decreased academic performance. Prioritizing mental health allows engineering students to proactively prevent burnout, lead a fuller and healthier life, and develop helpful coping skills that will benefit them throughout their education and future careers.
 

Responsibilities: Provide individual therapy, execute triage evaluation appointments, perform crisis evaluations, facilitate referrals/linkages, provide manualized solution-focused wellness plan sessions, and connect & build rapport with students.

What does mental health in engineering mean to you?
Sophia: Mental health in engineering means finding identity within passion. To participate in a complex, high-achieving field requires a great deal of dedication, resilience, confidence, and a great deal of motivation, all of which are qualities that begin within. Mental health looks to grow and facilitate these aspects, all while creating a more developed and strengthened sense of "you". 

A quote or mantra that helps Sophia stay grounded or resilient: 
A quote that I always live by is "know who you are". My papaw always told me this growing up, and I have found in my work, and every other situation in life, having a core understanding of yourself, your values, and your worth are what drive great passion, grounding, and resilience.

How do you prioritize your own mental health in a high-pressure environment like engineering?
Sophia: Being a Master's student involves an extremely high-pressure environment, like many students in engineering experience. Prioritizing mental health by attending counseling, finding peer supports, and participating in hobbies I enjoy, I find that I can have greater wellness in these stressful circumstances.