 "Photo: Neka Jones- Echo staff photographer")
Statistics show that mental illness can affect one out of every four students during their college career.
According to the American College Health Association, 76 percent of college students will feel "overwhelmed" at some point during their college career and just over seven out of every 100,000 college students will commit suicide.
That totals to over 1,000 college-age suicides each year, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
"There is hope and support," said Yusador Gaye, president of the recently established NCCU Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
After many steps and multiple meetings, including a meeting with NAMI of Raleigh, the group became registered this year.
The NCCU campus NAMI club began after NCCU professor Cassandra D. Caldwell challenged her public administration graduate class to establish a perpetual community project.
President of the NCCU club, Yusador Gaye, was inspired to begin a NAMI campus club because her son suffered from a mental illness soon after beginning college.
"We brainstormed organizations and Yusador brought NAMI to our attention," said the group's vice president, Garion Bunn.
NAMI was founded in 1979 as a nonprofit, grassroots support organization.
Members include people living with mental illness, their families and friends.
The campus alliance aims to educate and increase awareness of mental health issues, promote early detection and intervention, and provide information about available mental health resources.
"We are trying to let students know that mental illness is a disease just like any other and that there is help out there," said Gaye.
Gaye said that the club is close to her heart.
"I want to get students involved so that the NCCU NAMI alliance will continue to be in existence long after the initial club creators have graduated," she said.
The NCCU alliance's founding members consist of President Yusador Gaye, Vice President Garion Bunn, Secretary Tiffany Wadddell, Assistant Secretary LaFonda General, and Treasurer Wilma Evans.
NAMI held their first interest meeting last night in the Criminal Justice Building.
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