Student Health Ambassadors Kick Off ROAR With Monthly Mocktails for Mental Health

Voorhees University’s Student Health Ambassadors kicked off ROAR, Resilience, Outreach, Awareness, Recovery, with a campus event called “Mocktails for Mental Health” on January 16, 2026. The monthly, alcohol-free gatherings aim to normalize conversations about mental health, reduce stigma, and connect students with campus and community supports.

Mocktails for Mental Health featured guided mindfulness sessions, brief wellness workshops, peer-led storytelling, and resource booths staffed by counseling Services, health services, and community partners. The Student Health Ambassadors serve as peer educators and wellness advocates, coordinating events and directing peers to on- and off-campus resources. ROAR is part of the HBCU Health Discovery Program, and the Ambassadors say their work strengthens links between Voorhees and surrounding rural communities through collaboration with the Rural Community Development Institute.

“Student leadership in mental health is essential to creating a resilient campus community,” said Nurse Williams, Student Health Ambassador Coordinator. “Our ambassadors have worked collaboratively to design ROAR so students can access compassionate peer support, practical tools, and clear pathways to care.”

The launch targeted Voorhees students directly, using peer-led activities to lower barriers to seeking help and to make mental wellness part of everyday campus life. Peer storytelling and workshops are intended to make information about counseling Services and health services more approachable, while the alcohol-free format creates an inclusive environment for students who prefer sober social options.

Student Health Ambassador Lasinagaye Bennett emphasized the personal importance of the effort. “We want to let our classmates know that it is okay to seek assistance and to not be ashamed. Mental health is just as important as your physical health. Mental wellness is not an option, it is essential.”

Social promotion of the event included imagery credited to Voorhees University’s Rural Interest Group, signaling the Ambassadors’ dual focus on campus wellbeing and rural outreach. The Office of Communications supplied event materials and media assets for the launch.

For Bamberg County residents and Voorhees students, ROAR represents a student-driven expansion of on-campus support that also reaches into local communities. By staging monthly, low-barrier events that pair wellness practices with clear service signposts, the program aims to shift norms about help-seeking and strengthen connections between the university and nearby rural areas.

The Student Health Ambassadors plan to continue Mocktails for Mental Health on a monthly basis, using peer education and resource connections as a baseline strategy for campus resilience. Local residents and students can look for subsequent sessions and additional ROAR programming as the initiative develops.