Candidate for the position of Mental Health Awareness Officer

Sara-Imaani Akram

My Manifesto
• Hey everyone! I’m Sara and I’m currently on my second year of studying undergraduate Psychology. I’m running for the role of Mental Health Awareness Officer for a few reasons that are internal and external. To begin with internal, is to begin with the recipe that creates my external result. The ingredients to bake the aromatic cake; the fundamentals of myself. My default self is bubbling with extroversion alongside the moral inclination to help those who seek it. This translates externally as me being a confident, enthusiastic, approachable girl who is often smiling and gives off a friendly impression. These traits are fundamental to what I believe will make someone a Mental Health Awareness Officer that is effective in engaging students, and therefore efficient in executing their role.
I am not an accredited Mental Health advocate, but I am credited by my friends, family and even strangers (who have disclosed their struggles or worries to me) as someone who they have leaned on for a hand, or a sense of ease from their feelings of discomfort. I am a University of Derby TAP Ambassador I help prospectus students with their enquiries and that comes with handling the emotions they present to me with appropriate behaviour. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from those who have confided in me, telling me that I have made them feel very comfortable and they feel better upon leaving the conversation that they did upon entering it. Being human, these experiences have enabled me to become better at noticing what kind of help people want, whether they just want someone to listen, or someone to offer advice, I have learnt how to help in a way that makes people feel satisfied in themselves and in the help that they have gotten from me. This growth is something a community has helped reap; thus, I’d like to pay this growth forward by applying for the Mental Health Awareness Officer role, contribute to the growth of knowledge students have about mental health.
Promote Mental Health Education:
I would like to implement initiatives (like workshops) to educate students, faculty and staff about mental health issues, and particularly about ones that are less known. I believe this information will help deconstruct any stigmatisation around potential behaviours people see and promote a comprehension. I would also like to a host fun event in the atrium that spreads awareness and knowledge of issues that aren’t as widely known.
Create Safe Spaces:
I would like to establish a comfortable place on campus where students feel comfortable unwinding with friends. This includes the idea of designating a room in the University for this comfortable, relaxing time where (for instance,) friends can go to talk about their struggles and understand each other more. Fostering Community Engagement: I would like to engage students in wonderful conversations and activities like potential podcast episodes that include willing students and me hosting to talk about their experiences with mental health to foster a more comfortable, safe space that feels normal for these important talks to take place. Feeding off from the fun event, collecting students to volunteer with the event and provide their personal charm seems like something that will successfully foster community
Awareness, safe spaces, community engagement