Backstage at the USC: That Time Simu Liu Showed Up for World Mental Health Day
When Jenna Ijam first began planning the USC’s annual World Mental Health Day, she just wanted to help at least one student feel seen, valued, and heard.
She never expected over 700 to show up.
Throughout the day, crowds of students gathered for fun activities to build healthy coping mechanisms. With everything from a petting zoo to rock painting, this year’s World Mental Health Day offered a much-needed break from midterm studying.
Ijam—the USC’s Vice-President University Affairs—believes this kind of atmosphere is exactly what many students are looking for when it comes to self-care.
“Mental health is difficult to approach at times because it’s such a serious topic,” she said. “Sometimes, a fun and light-hearted atmosphere is what students need when they’re feeling overwhelmed.”
Having grown up overseas in a country where mental health was never acknowledged, Ijam understands the importance of destigmatization. Starting in high school, she began her advocacy journey by starting a club, inviting speakers from her community to share stories related to mental health.
Now, as the Vice-President University Affairs, she has the power to make a real difference on Western’s campus.
“My ultimate goal is to reduce the mental health stigma, so that students feel comfortable reaching for support” she said. “I want to make a difference for those who feel intimidated by asking for help.”
Along with activities like rock painting and a petting zoo, the event featured representatives from campus support resources. Among those present were MyVirtualDoctor, which provides 24-hour virtual care, and Western’s Health and Wellness Services.
“Destigmatization alone isn’t enough,” Ijam explained. “It’s also important to connect more students to support services, so they know where to go if they need help.”
Parallel to World Mental Health Day, Western ran The Power of the Possible—a campaign to bring conversations about mental health to the forefront.
Featuring a discussion with acclaimed actor and Western alum Simu Liu, the event resonated with students across campus, including Ijam, who served on the planning committee for the event and facilitated student Q&As throughout.
Sitting down with students on the campus he once called home, Liu described his struggles with depression and overwhelming pressure to meet his parents’ high expectations. Partway through the event, a touching moment came in the form of a performance by Hip Hop Western—the same student-led club that helped Liu find belonging years ago.
The point that resonated most with Ijam came at the end. When a student asked Liu if he had ever experienced imposter syndrome, his answer was a resounding yes—he still struggles with it to this day.
“It was such a real answer, and kind of reassuring in a weird way,” explained Ijam. “To hear that from someone who has achieved so much in their career—it forces me to redefine what success means for me.”
Moving forward, Ijam wants to set the USC on a path of proactive and inclusive mental health advocacy. This involves developing a strategic plan to bring community leaders into the discussion around student well-being, which she hopes to roll out in the near future.
The main takeaway from this year’s World Mental Health Day? It’s pretty simple—Ijam hopes students can carve out self-care time to prioritize their well-being, and—echoing Liu—rethink what “success” means:
“Most of us don’t know where we’ll end up after graduating, and there’s a lot of pressure from family and friends to ‘succeed’. But in the end, success isn’t defined by those around you—it’s defined by you.”
