1,100 college students die from suicide each year.

More than 80-percent of students report feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities.

One in four students have a diagnosable illness, but 40-percent will never seek help.

Issues like depression, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders and addiction are prevalent across college campuses, including ECU, but one ECU student is hoping to make a difference.

Erin Tucci, Greenville native and junior nutrition and dietetics major, has become an advocate for mental health awareness at ECU. She is currently employed by Campus Recreation and Wellness as an ACE certified group fitness instructor, teaching yoga and BODYATTACK classes. She also serves as the President of Healthy P.I.R.A.T.E.S., a campus organization comprised of a diverse group of students who are trained to teach their peers about pertinent health issues.

Why is mental health important to Tucci? Experiencing mental health issues firsthand has opened her eyes to what some people may never notice. “I know a lot of people who have struggled with depression, including a few family members of mine, so I understand how devastating it can be,” she said. “It makes me sad to see others in that same situation. I’ve known people who have overdosed, specifically a few close friends who have overdosed on heroin.”

Even though Tucci is an advocate for mental health, many people do not realize that mental health problems exist. “In the past, people may have been quiet about it because it’s been stigmatized. Some people may not realize that mental health problems are legit, but they are real,” she said. ““I feel like we are starting to drift into a culture that is acknowledging mental health issues more. Now, people are noticing just how much it affects people and are realizing how prevalent it is, especially on college campuses.”

Tucci recently attended a conference in Orlando where she became certified to teach addiction recovery yoga and is hoping to implement a new program involving that at ECU soon. She also attended the BACCHUS Conference in Denver this fall, an event focused on peer health education. Tucci said her biggest takeaway from the conference was brainstorming ideas for new wellness programming that would help ECU students become more aware of what they are eating and how it affects them.

Through Healthy P.I.R.A.T.E.S., Tucci has been given the opportunity to work at CRW’s Fresh Check Day. This fair-like event has been held for the past two years to spread awareness about mental health through interactive booths and activities. For more on this event, check out this video by WNCT: http://wnct.com/2017/11/02/ecu-holds-event-to-address-mental-health/.

All in all, having more students like Tucci is vital in bringing conversation to a subject that is not talked about enough. “CRW has definitely given me the resources to help implement change on campus,” she said. Even though Tucci is thankful for the opportunities she has had through CRW, she doesn’t plan to stop educating her peers about such a serious issue that affects students on college campuses across the country. How can you make a difference?