Last Friday, as the sun was just starting to set, students milled around Terman Fountain as a DJ played. Staff from across campus chatted with students; visitors placed colored flowers reflecting what helps them flourish, as part of a collective art display; and groups of friends sat on blankets on the grass enjoying the evening.

Organized by The Flourish, a student resource and newsletter focused on mental health and well-being, the event celebrated the publication’s fifth anniversary and reflected the group’s larger mission: to change the way students approach wellness, struggle, and support.

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Images by Nikolas Liepins / Ethography for Stanford VPSA

“We wanted students to engage with campus partners and fellow students and learn about resources, all while reflecting on their own mental health and well-being,” said Christine Wong Mineta, director of communications for student health and well-being.

Founded in 2021 as a “for students, by students” publication and email newsletter, The Flourish shares student stories and connects students with mental health resources. Since it’s written by students, the topics it addresses are often things other students are experiencing. Its team of six interns, along with Wong Mineta, also organizes campus events, including annual events for Mental Health Awareness Month.

This year’s Flourish Fest brought together more than 20 campus organizations and programs. The event featured resource booths, a floating lantern ceremony, student story exhibits, a collective art installation, and live student performances.

Floating Lanterns at Flourish Fesh

Matthew Yu, ’29, sketched the floating lantern ceremony at Flourish Fest as students gathered for an evening of art, music, and connection.

“Flourish Fest is a time to raise awareness around mental health, but also to celebrate all the resources that have been working really hard to provide for our community,” said Cherrial Odell, a senior and lead intern for The Flourish. “The cool part about The Flourish is it also uplifts all these organizations on campus that are doing the work every day that sometimes go unrecognized or unnoticed.”

Resources at the event included programs within Vaden Health Services, such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Well-Being at Stanford, the Confidential Support Team (CST), and the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources (SUPER). But mental health and wellness are experienced in many different ways, Wong Mineta explained, a diversity reflected in event partners like the Office for Religious and Spiritual Life, Stanford Arts, the Office of Accessible Education, and DisCo Space.

“Student health is a collective responsibility,” Wong Mineta said. “Often students think it’s just one location or one resource without realizing there are many resources on campus that can support their overall holistic health and well-being.”

For Angela Amarillas, program director of Mind Over Money – a financial coaching program available to students, postdocs, and alumni – financial well-being is an essential part of that conversation.

“Our sense of financial well-being affects almost every other area or dimension of well-being,” Amarillas said. “Our financial lives are really woven into other aspects, and there are ways that you can do it really positively.”

At the same time, Flourish Fest acknowledged that the presence of resources alone is not enough. Supporting mental health also requires connection, belonging, and a campus culture in which students feel able to speak honestly about their experiences.

Alongside the booths, Terman Fountain was filled with upbeat music from student performers and paths lined with Flourish Stories, a storytelling project featuring student stories told in the first person, that launched in 2024 to share students’ experiences, Wong Mineta said.

“When students see their peers succeed and feel like it’s easy to achieve success, they often overlook the real challenges that can occur behind the scenes,” Wong Mineta said. “Publications like The Flourish have helped reshape how our campus talks about adversity and have inspired students to find their own ways to flourish.”

For attendees, that openness was part of what made the event meaningful.

“I thought that it was really interesting to hear different people’s thoughts on mental health,” said senior Ishita Gupta. “I think that Stanford is trying to do the right things, and it’s good to see more events talking about mental well-being.”