Despite the biting wind that cut across campus on Friday afternoon, March 27, students, faculty and alumni were still gathered outside Crisp Hall for a cause that carries real weight: mental health advocacy and suicide prevention.
The gathering marked the “No One Walks Alone” mental health advocacy walk, hosted by the Student Nurses’ Association (SNA), aiming to bring together the campus community to walk a loop around campus in recognition of a difficult year.
Registration for the event costs $5, with proceeds benefiting the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence (SEMO-NASV), with an optional purchase of a t-shirt for an additional $15 if ordered in advance.
SNA President London Popp explained that the SNA picks an organization to support every semester for a charity walk, but that this cause felt the most relevant.
“With the recent loss in our community, we decided our theme should be mental health, to raise awareness for that,” Popp said. “It’s important that people see that they’re not alone in the things that they’re suffering through.”
Near the entrance, messages in bright chalk stretched across the sidewalk– “We walk together”, “Mental health = physical health”, “Mental health matters”– in streaks of color against the pavement. Several folding tables were set up, one with t-shirts and ribbons, one with snacks and another with free handouts from the Center for Behavioral Health and Accessibility– resource pamphlets, tissue packets, stickers with the 988 Lifeline and breathing exercises printed on them.
The walk began at 3:30 p.m., after a brief speech written by Popp and SNA Vice President Vanessa Mugota, who guided the group through their trek around campus.
As President and Vice President of the SNA, but especially as nursing students, Popp and Mugota take on the role of advocating for mental health awareness just as seriously as their duty to advocate for physical health.
“In nursing, we believe in holistic healing– mental, physical, everything ties together,” Mugota said. “Just because someone comes in with one problem doesn’t mean we don’t look at the whole picture. Advocating for mental health is part of that.”
For Mugota, advocacy is especially important to her because of how mental health is perceived in her home country.
“I’m from Zimbabwe. Mental health is not a thing that people talk about a lot back home,” Mugota said. “Even if someone commits suicide back home, they don’t allow you to see the body. That’s how serious they take it.”
Many of the event’s participants felt just as strongly about the cause. Senior nursing student Luci Stubblefield, for example, reflected on the importance of destigmatizing mental health for students, especially those who hesitate to seek help.
“Mental health is such a huge thing, especially now, with people being afraid to reach out because they feel embarrassed or ashamed,” Stubblefield said. “It’s something that really needs to be advocated for, so people can show up and not be afraid to admit when they need help. Everyone needs help.”
Her fellow nursing student, Maeve Atteberry, emphasized the importance of creating a safe space for peers to express when they’re suffering.
“Bringing awareness and talking about it makes people feel more comfortable and safe to open up,” Atteberry said. “It’s okay not to be okay. They told us that in high school, and they were right.”
Another participant, 2025 graduate Landon Pearson, attended alongside Student Social Work Organization (SSWO) President Lamiyah Mackins to support the cause as someone who’s seen their loved ones struggle.
“I haven’t dealt with most of it personally, but my brother has, and it really changed how I look out for people,” Pearson said. “It’s a very tough subject to talk about, but at the same time, it’s necessary.”
The group moved steadily around the looped route, walking along Normal Avenue past Academic Hall, up North Henderson Avenue and across Greek Drive, along the pathway between Rhodes and Magill, before walking back down to Crisp Hall. The route itself is not one most students follow in their day-to-day life, but on Friday afternoon, it became a quiet symbol of community.
“I hope people will see that there are people who care about them, and that they truly aren’t alone,” Popp said.
