Peer educators and mentors in Bronx Community College’s (BCC) Get PSyCh’d program came together on campus for intensive training to prepare for the 2025–26 academic year.

While honing their own professional skills and receiving career guidance, the group focused on how to share vital mental health information with the student body and connect peers to BCC’s wide array of free resources – including confidential counseling and therapy, an on-site health clinic with a registered nurse practitioner, a food pantry for those experiencing food insecurity, and a childcare center for student parents with children ages six weeks to five years.

“In the fall, our peer educators will visit classrooms to speak directly with students about the full range of support services BCC offers, as well as important mental health topics such as depression, autism, domestic violence, and more,” said Get PSyCh’d Director Emalinda McSpadden, Professor and Deputy Chair of the Department of Social Sciences. “Once these students come together, they become like family – supporting one another during their time at BCC and beyond.”

Most Get PSyCh’d participants aspire to careers in the mental health field. Entry into the program requires a competitive interview process, and each participant receives a paid on-campus internship as part of their experience.

Cierra McGruder, LCSW BCC Class of 2019, said,“The Get Psych’d Program was a turning point in my journey. It not only shaped me into the clinician I am today, but also deepened my passion for mental health. The support and mentorship I received gave me the confidence to keep growing and to pursue my calling in this field.”

Currently Cierra works as a clinician in Woonsocket, Rhode Island to 15-26 year olds who have severe mental illness or just experienced their first episode of psychosis.