January can be a stressful time for HBA students.
They’re thrust back into the rigorous program with daily cases, assignments, and presentations. On top of all that, there’s summer recruitment.
Student group myHBA organized the first ever Break The Silence event to support and help their peers. The three-day event, sponsored by RBC, focused on the different aspects of health and wellbeing: physical, spiritual, and mental.
Kicking off on Monday, January 25, students participated in a zumba class to stimulate their physical health. Tuesday was dedicated to spiritual health, where students could attend a meditation and mindfulness session guided by Annamarie Burgess, an instructor from the London Mindfulness Community.
The final day, Wednesday, focused on mental health. Students were encouraged to open up and talk to help end the stigma surrounding mental health.
Guest speakers Dr. Javeed Sukhera and Alicia Raimundo spoke in the BMO Auditorium on Wednesday morning. Dr. Sukhera, Senior Designate Physician Lead at London Health Sciences Centre and Academic Director of Global Health Curriculum and Assistant Professor at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, spoke about his experience working with youth suffering from mental health issues.
"The world is always going to throw us curveballs,” he told the students. “The only way to succeed is to truly believe in your ability to do so.”
Raimundo shared stories from her own personal battle with mental health. After years of struggling, she now refers to herself as a mental health superhero, someone who isn’t shy to open up about her experience in hopes that it will help other people. She encouraged HBA students to reach out and ask for help if they need to.
“A weird thing happens when you use the super power that is your voice,” she said. “People who matter don’t mind and people who mind don’t matter.”
