By Jennifer Lorbeski

YourPace Student Contributor

After the turn of their mortarboard tassel, many high school graduates struggle over their next steps. Should they go to college? Get a job? Take a gap year to think about it?

Both anticipation and fear abound. Every decision you make has an impact on the rest of your life, and some require significant expenses. 

Kelly Erickson, a northern Maine man, took the college route. He shared his story in an interview, discussing his time at the University of Maine. He talked about his time at the Orono college, financial aid, and the need for mental health services on college campuses.

Kelly said that he was encouraged to do well in school and typically had good grades without having to try too hard.

He discussed why he wanted to go to college after graduating high school.

“I think college was pushed on us at the time,” he said. “If you wanted to be successful you had to go to college. My sister and I both applied and were accepted to UMaine [The University of Maine].”

Kelly revealed his trepidation about financing college.

“My dad was a single dad raising both me and my sister, so he wasn’t able to afford college outright. I had to rely on financial aid,” he explained.

Kelly said that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process seemed confusing at first, but his dad learned it. They both filled it out together. The University of Maine gave Kelly nearly a full scholarship for his education on the condition that he maintain a 3.0 GPA.

 “I was on the honor roll and took my grades seriously my first two years,” he noted. “But by my junior year, my grades went downhill.”

Struggling with his mental health, his anxiety and depression worsened. Juggling his job, classes, and social life was a challenge for him. 

He said he reached out to the university for support.

“I remember emailing a counseling service on campus,” he recalled. “They basically told me that I would be waiting a long time, and I never ended up getting help.”

The long waiting list was an indication that a number of students were struggling with their mental health, and that Kelly was not alone.

By the end of his junior year, Kelly’s GPA dropped to 2.8, and the university revoked his financial aid. Kelly said university officials reported that he could only continue his studies at the University of Maine and get his financial assistance package returned if he went to a different university and raised his GPA to 3.0.

“That was the catalyst for me, I think,” Kelly said. “I was already struggling with my mental health, and after that I just couldn’t find it in me to continue my education”

Kelly joined the workforce and now works in medical manufacturing. He wants to return to school and finish his degree.

“I definitely would want to complete my degree, especially since I only have one year left,” he said. “Right now, with my work schedule, it just wouldn’t be possible, but I still would like to finish it eventually.”

The significance of mental health services on college campuses is highlighted by Kelly’s narrative. A lot of students are having difficulty, which affects their academic performance. Students as well as universities both suffer when there are insufficient mental health interventions available.