Dear Editor,

Students are the leaders of the future. Colleges often look at students as assets they invest in for a better future, but every school day comes with stress, anxiety, and even burn out. Balancing classwork with life’s pressure and challenges can truly overwhelm college students, and Diablo Valley Students are not exempt from that.

DVC requires plenty of classes that are aimed at helping prepare students for their academic and personal future, but if we truly want to prepare students for life beyond the school, then mental health education classes should be required classes.

Currently, every student in DVC is required to take Math, English, and communications classes. While this is great, imagine adding a class where students leave with tools to help manage, regulate, and cope with the stress that comes with keeping up with those classes.

How many students experience exam anxiety? Learning how to write an essay is a great skill, but learning how to manage anxiety before a huge exam is just as important. If a student studies for months but gets burned out on exam day, they can’t really show what they know.

Therefore, teaching mental health wellness should be treated as essential and not an optional class. DVC has always been committed to students’ success, and investing in preventive mental health education is just an extension of that commitment. In making mental health classes a requirement, DVC is truly setting up its students for success in their academic and personal life.

Sincerely,

Iman elder

Pleasant Hill, CA