In the whirlwind of college life, Cece Blasdell has discovered that sometimes the most powerful action is stillness. Each day, the first-year Communication Sciences and Disorders student at PennWest Clarion takes a dedicated hour—no cell phone, no distractions—to center herself. "I actually practice mindfulness every day," Cece explains. "I just sit by myself and I think about the image in my head that I want, I think about my thoughts going forward." This daily ritual, rooted in practices learned in a high school mindfulness class, allows her to process the mental clutter of student life. She finds it helps her rationalize thoughts and gain perspective: "I'm able to sit down and think, you know, this wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it was. Or, you know what? Like, this is normal."

Even with this tool, starting college brought nerves. Despite being semi-local and familiar with the Clarion campus, the first week brought the expected awkwardness. "I was like, I don't know anybody," she admits. However, campus orientation activities, designed to help students connect and find resources, quickly eased her anxieties. "That naturally led to a lot of like support being built. I felt very supported," Cece says. She joined the Peer Mentoring program and was matched with another student from her area, forging an immediate friendship. "Me and a girl from my area got matched together and now we're like best friends."

This appreciation for support is rooted in personal experience. Cece navigated profound personal loss at a young age; her mother, a Clarion alumna and beloved teacher, passed away when Cece was 16. As an only child, this transformed her home dynamic overnight: "Going from my mom who's the boss of the house saying, 'come on, do this, do that' to me and my dad, just being like, 'uh, what now?'" This experience underscores the importance of support systems. Cece finds purpose in honoring her mother's legacy – as a Clarion graduate and educator – and positive spirit, partly by sharing the coping strategies she's learned. Her advice to peers facing a crisis is direct: "Say something." Acknowledging vulnerability opens doors. "People can't know about your issues if you don't say anything... Saying something... is better than struggling and saying nothing."

Cece’s journey exemplifies how PennWest’s supportive community empowers students to build resilience, forge their own paths while honoring legacies, and find calm amidst chaos through connection and self-awareness.