COMM 3 — Visual Storytelling Portfolio

Mental Health at Santa Clara University

Research and digital stories highlighting psychological distress at Santa Clara University. Speaking truth about the mental health climate through storytelling and data.

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The Story

Three Lives Lost.
One Community Changed.

A deep investigation into student mental health at SCU after three students tragically lost their lives in fall quarter 2021.

My work involves speaking to a former SCU journalism senior lecturer about the mental health climate at SCU after three student deaths, including two suicides, in fall quarter 2021.

To tell this story, we conducted research, produced an audio story, and curated a visual story.

As a result of these challenges at the university, we wanted to highlight the significant event where three students tragically lost their lives. This event sparked a movement by students demanding the university improve the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) program.

The students were successful, which led to the University allocating millions to improve CAPS.

SCU students rally for better mental health resources
Students gather at SCU to demand increased funding for Counseling and Psychological Services. Photo: Mercury News

Through this, we hope to spread awareness of this issue and encourage current students suffering from psychological distress to seek help.

3
Student Deaths
Fall quarter, 2021
Research

Mental Distress in
Higher Education

To understand the problem at SCU, we leveraged existing research to understand mental health at a larger scale. In 2021, researchers at three Belgian universities surveyed 23,307 higher education students on psychological distress one year into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the Study (PMC)
Anxiety symptoms icon
0%
presented anxiety symptoms
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0%
presented depressive symptoms
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0%
reported suicidal ideations
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0%
had or intended to consult a psychologist
Importance icon

Why Does This Matter?

Despite alarming rates of mental distress symptoms, two-thirds of students surveyed had no intention of seeking professional help. This leaves the vast majority of affected students vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation — without psychological support.

Storytelling

Bringing Stories to Life

We produced compelling audio and visual stories that provide our audience a glimpse into the climate at Santa Clara University and the impact these events had on the community.

Audio Story

The Climate at SCU

Hear the heartbreaking climate that existed on campus. How Silicon Valley pressures and academic stress contributed to a mental health crisis among students.

Listen on SoundCloud (5:31)
Visual Story

Santa Clara Suicides

This visual story uses original photography to symbolize what took place and convey the emotions and experiences of students affected by the mental health crisis.

View Visual Story (PDF, 18 pages)

The Interview

We landed an interview with former SCU journalism senior lecturer Barbara Kelley, who taught at Santa Clara for 27 years.

Her firsthand accounts of the climate on campus were a significant part of our audio story. She witnessed the trauma ripple through her classrooms as students struggled to process three deaths in a single quarter — all while readjusting to campus life after the pandemic.

Bad things happen, and you can't sweep them under the rug, or you can't use euphemisms.

— Barbara Kelley, in an interview, Oct. 18, 2024
Barbara Kelley and Carlos Ceja interview alongside news coverage of the SCU student deaths
Barbara Kelley (top) and Carlos Ceja (bottom) alongside local news coverage of the student deaths at SCU.

From the Interview

The students were really traumatized. ... There were several students who didn't want to come to class after they found out, because they were so upset.

— Barbara Kelley, on the first death

One of the students said, you know, I just don't see myself in the future. And another student said, Yeah, neither do I.

— Barbara Kelley, on a classroom discussion after the deaths

Students have to just push themselves as far as they can, worry about their grades all the time. ... It's been kind of a treadmill.

— Barbara Kelley, on the culture of pressure at SCU

It was the biggest [rally] I've ever seen since I've taught at Santa Clara. ... What they really wanted was more money for CAPS.

— Barbara Kelley, on the student-led demonstration
About

About the Author

Created for COMM 3: Visual Storytelling at Santa Clara University, this portfolio is a deliberate case study in research-driven narrative. I conducted the research, interviews, audio production, and visual storytelling to document a moment that deeply affected our campus community.

As a Communications major with an emphasis in Organizational, Professional, and Business Communication—and a design program manager by trade—I lead with restraint so the facts carry authority. The intent is to inform with clarity and leave a lasting impression without exaggeration.

Communications Major SCU '26 US Army Veteran Tech Worker Program Management First-Generation Mexican American
Carlos Ceja

Carlos Ceja

Communications @ Santa Clara University

US Army Veteran
Tech Worker
First-Generation Mexican American