Chukwudi Nwoko
Chukwudi Nwoko, a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Earth Sciences at 91²Ö¿â, is working toward a doctorate in applied geology, environmental geochemistry and mineralogy. He is also vice president of the International Student Council at 91²Ö¿â. 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 91²Ö¿â, 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’d 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’ve gotten feedback about how it’s 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’m better off now, but I still sometimes get a feeling of being left behind, especially when things don’t 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’s the big picture here?
I’ve come to understand that disappointments will always pop up. Things don’t always go the way I think they’re supposed to, and that’s fine. I’ve 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’s 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—knowing that when I have an episode, these are the people I can talk to and these are the resources available for me—I think that’s actually a big deal.