The transition from November to December often brings excitement in anticipation of the holiday season and the year’s end. However, for most college students, it marks the beginning of fall finals season, a time characterized by anxiety. In light of these stressful times at Georgetown University, the Global Mental Health and Well-Being (GMHWB) initiative partnered with the Georgetown School of Health Academic Council to distribute mental health care packages to students in the School of Health.

With funding support from GMHWB, the Academic Council assembled and distributed 300 goodie bags aimed at supporting students' mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Each bag included snacks, candy canes, Emergen-C, health tools, lip balm, a digital thermometer, journaling and coloring books, stuffed dog plushies, stickers, and quick tip sheets from Health Education Services.

When asked about the purpose of these packages, School of Health Academic Council President Isra Satiar stated, "We made the finals wellness packages to give students something to look forward to during the stress of finals and to send a deeper message that we genuinely care about every person in the School of Health. Mental health is central to this initiative—not only do the packages include items to help manage stress and improve coping strategies, but they also remind students that they belong as part of this community. Everything we do as a combination of student organizations—Academic Council, Global Mental Health and Well-being, and Health Education Services—is to serve our students, and these packages were made with them in mind."

Moreover, this finals season marked the end of the first semester for college freshmen, making them the target recipients of these care packages. As a freshman who received one during the stressful fall finals season, I found it to be not only a kind gesture but also a source of encouragement. The items in the bag offered healthy stress-coping mechanisms, such as coloring books, which provided a visually stimulating alternative to doom-scrolling on social media. When I felt overwhelmed with studying and could not make any time to visit the dining hall, the snacks from the package gave me a small but much-needed energy boost.

Overall, I am pleased to report that finals season was a success, thanks in part to the thoughtful support of these mental health packages.