Mindful Ducks by Zacharias

Mindful Ducks by Zacharias - June 2026 Scholarship Essay

Going into college, stress was one of the main things I was told to expect. What I didn’t expect was the quiet, heavy feeling of being lost. I’d come back to my dorm after long days of classes, get straight to my homework, then lay in bed feeling this overwhelming sense that I didn’t know what I was doing this all for. Everyone around me seemed to be moving confidently toward something; internships, careers, certain futures while I felt like I was sprinting just to stay in place. Coming from a lower class immigrant family, I’ve always had it engrained into my head that I can’t waste time or fall behind. My parents worked too hard for me to have that luxury. But the pressure to constantly push forward, to never rest, slowly turned into exhaustion, isolation, and a fear that I wasn’t doing enough no matter how hard I tried.
For a long time, I didn’t call any of this “mental health.” Growing up, we didn’t use that language. You worked, you endured, you kept going. So when I felt overwhelmed in college, my instinct was to stay silent and deal with it alone. But silence only made the weight heavier. I realized that if I, someone who tries to stay strong, felt this way, then countless other students must be feeling it too; especially those who, like me, carry the pressure of attending college coming from a relatively poor upbringing.
This realization is what shaped the project I want to create: Mindful Ducks, a peer support program at University of Oregon designed to make mental health care more accessible, less intimidating, and more culturally understanding. The idea is simple: you train students in emotional first aid, active listening, and stress management strategies so they can support one another in ways that feel natural and judgment free. These peer supporters would host drop in hours, lead small group conversations, and guide students toward professional resources when needed. Not everyone feels comfortable walking into a counseling center, even me, but almost everyone feels comfortable talking to someone their own age who understands what college pressure feels like.
What makes Mindful Ducks meaningful to me is that it addresses the gap I fell through. When I was struggling, I didn’t need a diagnosis, I needed someone to say, “You’re not alone. What you’re feeling makes sense.” I needed a space where I didn’t have to pretend I was fine just because I didn’t want to burden my family or those around me. A peer support network would give students that space. It would normalize conversations about burnout, identity, loneliness, and purpose; topics that so many of us ponder about quietly.
The program would also acknowledge the diverse backgrounds of UO students. For many first generation or immigrant/international students, mental health can be tied to cultural expectations, financial pressure, and the fear of disappointing the people who gave up everything for us. Peer supporters who understand those layers can make a huge difference. They can help students feel seen in ways that traditional counseling sometimes can’t.
My perception of mental health has changed drastically since coming to college. I used to think struggling meant I was weak. Now I understand that acknowledging your limits is a form of strength. I’ve learned that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s necessary if you want to be better. And that’s what Mindful Ducks is all about: creating a campus culture where students don’t have to choose between being strong and being honest. If we can teach students to care for one another, we’ll graduate not only with degrees but with empathy that lasts forever.