At Trinity University, Ayanna Blake ’25 made a choice to prioritize her mental health.

A psychology major from Houston, Texas, Ayanna had a tough time adjusting to college life before discovering the strong social, academic and mental support networks and services that Trinity brings to the table.

“So what brought me to Trinity is the support systems we have here,” Ayanna says. “With the help of my professors and on-campus therapists, I was able to excel academically, mentally, and physically.”

Ayanna’s most memorable moment as a Trinity student so far has been getting in touch with Trinity’s on-campus therapy and counseling services, which she describes as “a huge stepping stone…being able to get that help for myself and knowing that it's here on campus for me.”

While connecting with these services - and also connecting with the University’s accessible, dedicated faculty - has helped Ayanna in her journey, getting involved in student organizations has also worked wonders for her confidence and self-belief. “I'm mostly involved in Black Student Union and TUVAC, which is a volunteer club. BSU is my main priority - I'm gonna be super involved and hopefully try to make sure the presence of the club is felt more.”

Ayanna says her healthy social network - and healthy state of mind - has her confident about doing more than surviving the tough days at school: she’s ready to conquer.

“Getting the help I needed, it motivates me to know that I can go above and beyond, and I can just conquer being here,” she says. “Because being here, it's a very rigorous school, but it has the help needed to excel.”

This content was provided by Trinity University. The editorial staff of Inside Higher Ed had no role in its creation.