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For many Americans, community college is an important path toward climbing the economic ladder. Programs can be more accessible to a wider swath of the public and offer vital certifications and degrees in trades, frontline medical work and other core aspects of our economy. Community college students often juggle classes with raising families, working or dealing with other stressful constraints on time. But unlike four-year universities, mental health services at community colleges are severely lacking or non-existent.
WBUR, Boston’s NPR News Station, is partnering with Call to Mind and the Well Beings Tour to bring you Call to Mind Live: Pass or Fail — Mental Health in Community Colleges. Join Here & Now co-host Scott Tong for a panel discussion about understanding and navigating the mental health gaps in community college. RSVP to join this free virtual event on January 13th at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Event Highlights
HOSTS
Scott Tong joined Here & Now as a co-host in July 2021. A veteran public radio journalist, Tong spent 16 years at Marketplace as Shanghai bureau chief and senior correspondent. He has reported from more than a dozen countries, including Venezuela, Ethiopia, Burma and Japan. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife Cathy and family, and is known to bike into work at a modest pace.
GUESTS
Dr. Vivek H. Murthy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2021 to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the United States as a returning role. As the Nation’s Doctor, the Surgeon General’s mission is to restore trust by relying on the best scientific information available, providing clear, consistent guidance and resources for the public, and ensuring that we reach our most vulnerable communities As the Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Murthy commands a uniformed service of 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations domestically and abroad.
Jordan Herrera serves as the Director of Social Services at Amarillo College. She coordinates and manages the services in Amarillo College’s Advocacy and Resource Center which include social services, a scholarship program, food pantry and the campus clothing closet. Each one of the services directly serves at-risk students experiencing barriers to their education. She also serves on the Eveline’s Sunshine Cottage board. An agency that directly impacts the students that she serves daily. Jordan is a Licensed Master Social Worker.
Alexander Tsai, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Through his research, he seeks to understand how large-scale social forces such as violence, stigma, racism, and food insecurity conspire to undermine health and mental health among the poor and excluded. Dr. Tsai is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Social Science and Medicine-Mental Health, a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
Iseline Mendoza is a recent graduate of Northern Essex Community College in Massachusetts. She graduated with honors as an Accounting Major and served as the Student Government Association President.
