By Isabella Gerardo and Sara Gomez, May 12, 2026
A peaceful student center with self-affirmations heard from down the halls; it was a planned-out evening of relaxation to keep students motivated through their first week of finals. Therapist lined up at the door, greeting everyone with art, music, and self-care supplies. As part of an annual Mental Health Awareness event, students and faculty joined together and participated in activities like self-care kit making, yoga, neurographic art drawing and mindful meditations.
A Mental Health Awareness event, held by Counseling and Psychological Services, created a space for students to walk in at any time from the hours of 10am-4pm Monday May 4 at the Bronco Student Center.
“You get so caught up in school that you need a moment to pause and take care of yourself,” English literature student Tania Araujo said. “Activities like this on campus make it feel like the school really cares.”
CAPS therapists invited students to take a break and recharge before finals by participating in a variety of activities such as trauma-informed yoga, guided mindfulness sessions, and R&B jam sessions. The goal of the event was to show the accessibility of mental health support at Cal Poly Pomona.
“It’s an opportunity to connect students with resources in a low-pressure environment,” CAPS therapist Malkie Hematillake said.
Survivor advocate Ambe Regina, with Survivor Advocate Services , led the trauma-informed yoga session at the event. SAS, an entity of CAPS, is a confidential and supportive resource for faculty, students and staff.
CAPS and SAS hold Healing After Trauma, a series of group counseling sessions aimed to support people affected by sexual trauma or dating violence every semester. For safety reasons, attendees are screened prior to meetings when they sign up, according to Regina.
“Mental health is important,” Regina said. “Students are very stressed, especially now during finals time and graduation.”
There was also a table of therapists outside of the BSCr at University Park offering freebies such as anxiety relief stickers and one-on-one time with students.
The tables gave students the opportunity to visit the “Ask A Therapist” session, where they were allowed to speak directly with CAPS therapists to learn more about its mental health resources.
“It’s a way to reduce the stigma around therapy and give students one-on-one time to ask questions,” Hematillake said. “Students can learn what therapy looks like and feel more comfortable with the process. A lot of people don’t realize we have these services, so this helps make that connection easier.”
For students stressed by finals, the event provided a space to rest and recharge through self-care and mental wellness activities.
“You need to pause and just take care of yourself,” Araujo said.
Open Monday through Friday, CAPS and SAS are both located in Building 66 and can be contacted by phone at (909) 869‑3220, with after hours available Monday-Wednesday 5pm-8pm and 24 hours on the weekends after the 2 button is pressed. For life threating emergencies contact campus police at (909) 869-3070.
Feature image courtesy of Sara Gomez
