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Wellness > Mental Health

Counseling Resources For UMD Students

Jennifer Biaksangi
Ambriah Underwood
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Maryland chapter.

On August 26, a former University of Maryland student David Katz opened fire at the Jacksonville video game tournament. Katz killed Elijah Clayton of California and Taylor Robertson of West Virginia and injured 10 others before taking his own life. This incident happened over a month ago, yet many UMD students still do not know that he was a Terp.

 

The university’s President Wallace Loh confirmed on his Twitter account the day after the shooting.

https://twitter.com/presidentloh/status/1034100845380558848

 

An email was also sent to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources students from the Dean of the school, Dr. Joe Sullivan, stating that Katz was a previously enrolled UMD student beginning in September 2014. He was a senior majoring in environmental science and technology and did not live on campus.

 

It is important to recognize that there is a direct tie between this shooting and UMD. UMD students need to be aware of the resources provided to us by the university such as the Counseling Center in the Shoemaker building, the behavioral health services at the University Health Center, and the countless UMD leaders who are willing to help manage any conflict that people may be feeling. Academic advisors also can help or direct one to many other campus resources to assist with any troubles. It is important that everyone feels safe and know that they are not alone at UMD.

 

https://unsplash.com/photos/Wb6JypZHtK8

 

Any college student reading this should know that there are places where they can go to for help if they ever need it. Colleges usually have resident assistants (RAs) who are upperclassmen and live in the dorms as a peer counselor. They are familiar with the resources on campus and can help direct students to the appropriate places when needed. Colleges also have religious centers where one can seek guidance from a leader there. Furthermore, many colleges offer a set amount of free counseling sessions for students. There are many resources available for college students who may be feeling conflicted and people need to know about these resources.

Jennifer is a sophomore Bioengineering major at the University of Maryland. Her passion for writing comes from her Apu (which means grandfather in her native tongue of Mizo), who is a published Mizo author. Jennifer feels most connected with her Apu when she is writing. She hopes her pieces will give others as much solace as writing gives her. When she's not distressingly trying to understand thermodynamics at McKeldin Library or admiring the cutting-edge labs in UMD's new A. James Clark Bioengineering building, you'll often find that she has gone home to her parents with a basket full of laundry and an empty stomach (and sometimes wallet).
Ambriah Underwood

Maryland '19

Ambriah Underwood is an avid reader and writer. In 2016, she graduated from Baltimore City College high school becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme recipient. She attends the University of Maryland as a senior, pursuing a degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish. During the spring of 2018, she copyedited news, opinion and diversion sections for an on-campus, student-run publication known as The Diamondback. After spending a year writing for Her Campus Maryland, and, later, functioning as an editor as well, she became co-Campus Correspondent. She plans to further her involvement with the group as well as gain more editorial experience through internships and by continuing her passion for storytelling. Ambriah Underwood resides in Washington County, Maryland.