A Stronger Start: How Mercer is Building Resilience into the Freshman Experience
When Bryce Kriner arrived at Mercer University as a freshman, starting college brought a familiar mix of excitement and anxiety. Away from home and surrounded by unfamiliar faces, Bryce worried about finding a place in a new community.
But those first few days unfolded differently than expected.
During Mercer’s orientation, Bryce was immediately immersed in activities alongside a small group of fellow freshmen and an upperclassman Peer Advisor. Between shared meals, group activities and conversations, the uncertainty of starting college began to give way to connection.
As part of that first-year experience, Bryce participated in RADical Health, a peer-led program designed to help students develop resilience, emotional intelligence and meaningful relationships.
Now a sophomore, Bryce has stepped into the same role that helped make that transition easier, serving as a Peer Advisor to a new group of incoming freshmen.
“I wanted to be able to kind of be that person that makes it a little bit easier to connect, a little bit easier to feel like you have someone to go to,” said Bryce.
Bryce’s journey reflects a larger commitment at Mercer University: preparing students to navigate life’s challenges before they arise, rather than waiting until they need help.
A New Approach to Student Mental Health
In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercer University saw increasing demand for counseling and mental health services. Faculty and staff also noticed that incoming students needed additional support adjusting to the academic, social, and emotional demands of college life.
For university leaders, the challenge was finding a way to extend mental health education beyond traditional counseling services and reach students earlier in their college experience.
“We wanted to get the conversation about mental health ‘beyond the clinic,’ and find ways to empower students to take care of their own mental health,” said Shaun Kell, Assistant Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Mercer University.
RADical Health offered an opportunity to put that philosophy into practice.
Through its evidence-based, four-week curriculum, the program guides students through conversations about their principles and priorities, managing stress, building emotional intelligence and planning for their futures.
Following a successful pilot in 12 sections of Mercer’s required first-year seminar course, UNV 101, the university expanded RADical Health to the entire incoming freshmen class the following year.
For Kell, the decision to make resilience education a shared part of the first-year experience reflected a fundamental belief about student well-being.
“So for me, RADical Health was always going to be for everybody. Because everybody has mental health. Because everybody sometimes needs to work at maintaining mental health,” said Kell.
Connection by Design
At Mercer, RADical Health is built into an existing first-year support system rather than offered as a standalone program.
Through UNV 101, freshmen meet regularly in small groups led by upperclassmen Peer Advisors who help them navigate academics, campus life and the transition to college.
“Instead of meeting with an unfamiliar face, our students have the opportunity to continue conversations with their Peer Advisors throughout the semester because our structure is designed to support this population throughout their entire first year,” said Chine Stroud, Coordinator of Academic Programs at Mercer University.
For Bryce, that familiarity helped create an environment where students could begin opening up about their experiences.
During her freshman year, Bryce’s Peer Advisor started RADical Health sessions by inviting students to share the positives and negatives of their week.
“And that kind of opens the door for communication around, ‘What are we struggling with?” said Bryce.
Now leading a group of freshmen, Bryce is putting those lessons into practice, encouraging academically focused students to explore campus organizations, build friendships outside their majors and find a sense of belonging beyond the classroom.
Bryce has also seen the value of RADical Health’s practical exercises, particularly one focused on active listening. In one exercise, students practice listening without interrupting or immediately offering their own perspectives, a skill Bryce remembers finding surprisingly challenging as a freshman.
The lesson is simple but meaningful: learning to listen, communicate, and connect with others can be as important to the college experience as academic preparation.
The Impact Beyond Freshman Year
For Mercer, some of the most compelling examples of RADical Health’s impact are emerging through students who have taken what they’ve learned and used it to support others.
Bryce’s growth from program participant to Peer Advisor is one example. She experienced the value of peer support firsthand, and now strives to create an environment where incoming freshmen feel comfortable sharing their own challenges.
Several students have already confided in Bryce about difficulties they’re facing, making the opportunity to earn their trust especially rewarding.
Kell recalls another student whose experience with RADical Health inspired her to become more involved in mental health advocacy on campus.
The student, who entered Mercer interested in pursuing a career in mental health, participated in RADical Health during her freshman year and later applied to become a Peer Wellness Educator with CAPS.
“During her interview with us, she said that it was in a RADical Health group session that she began to see herself taking the role of an advocate for mental health at Mercer,” said Kell.
The experience helped her realize she didn’t have to wait until she earned a professional degree to begin supporting others.
While Mercer continues to evaluate the broader outcomes of its RADical Health implementation, Kell says the university is noticing encouraging changes in how students approach conversations about mental health.
“Obviously, it is impossible to attribute all changes to any single program, but we are noticing changes in the conversation about mental health and the willingness to seek services,” said Kell.
For Chine Stroud, Coordinator of Academic Programs at Mercer, the value also lies in giving students a common experience early in their college journey, creating space to reflect on challenges, hear different perspectives and learn how to support themselves and one another.
“Offering RADical Health to all first-year students gives everyone access to the same content and an additional opportunity for all to engage in a peer-to-peer space,” said Stroud.
A Culture that Starts on Day One
Mercer’s approach demonstrates how mental health education can become part of the foundation of college life, rather than something students encounter only when they’re struggling.
For Bryce, that investment reflects a university culture that values students’ personal growth alongside their academic achievements.
“But they’re also focused on you progressing as a person,” said Bryce.
Just one year after navigating the uncertainties of freshman year, Bryce is now helping other students find their footing, build confidence and form connections of their own.
It’s a powerful example of how an investment in one student’s well-being can extend to the next, creating a cycle of support that reaches beyond the classroom.
And for Mercer, that shared foundation is an important part of building a campus culture where students feel equipped to navigate challenges and empowered to support one another.
“If you want to shift the conversation about mental health, you need a common language and experience. RADical Health can provide that,” said Kell.
Expansion into the Community
Mercer’s commitment to student well-being is also finding support beyond campus.
In October 2026, Z Beans, a coffee shop founded by Mercer alumnus Shane Buerster, joined the effort by creating two specialty drinks in support of RADical Hope. Throughout the month, profits from both drinks were donated to the organization, helping support its mission to equip young people with the skills to build resilience, strengthen connections and navigate life’s challenges.
The collaboration reflects how Mercer’s investment in student well-being can inspire engagement beyond the university itself, bringing alumni and local businesses into a shared commitment to supporting the next generation.