Samad Razaghzadeh Shabestari
School of Computing
Samad is the kindest and most caring tutor I have met at Queen's. He truly cares about being a mentor and supports students' mental health by providing support with stressful coursework. In addition, he is always understanding of any circumstance, whether that is financial or just general anxiety.
Anonymous Student
Mental health means taking a holistic view of the individual and understanding that person comes first, which means that how we treat our physical and mental health is important and impacts all aspects of our daily lives. We can be impacted by many stressors, including work, family, and social issues, which can have different psychological impacts on us. We need to reduce the stigma behind reaching out for help and increase access to mental health and student well-being. A healthy work-life balance is essential to students' success and mental health, which I am grateful the Champions for Mental Health program is advocating!
I support student mental health by reducing the stigma through conversations and representation. I strongly advocate for student mental health on campus, and even if I have a busy schedule, if a peer or student approaches me, I like to make time to listen to them and be open to assisting them in any way possible, such as sharing campus resources. Whether you are a graduate student, educator, or staff, we should act as role models who enhance students' mental health and wellbeing through actions and even small acts such as follow-ups or conversations. There is a lot of external and internal pressure on students these days, and as role models, we can reduce the stigma around mental health to decrease this pressure.
-- Samad Razaghzadeh Shabestari