Alana (she/they) is so grateful to be in a position to serve the students of Cornell as a staff member with the Community Response Team, after graduating in 2020 from the College of Arts & Sciences with majors in English Literature and Psychology. As a recent graduate, Alana has a deep understanding of the unique challenges, stressors, and barriers that Cornell students broadly face as they attempt to thrive emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually in an Ivy League institution, as well as knowledge of how these challenges change and intensify based on a student’s social identities and past experiences. This perspective, along with their four years of experience as an educator, coordinator and peer counselor with Cornell’s Empathy, Assistance, and Referral Service (EARS) Program, permitted Alana to get to know the specific hopes, fears, and needs of various student communities on campus surrounding mental health care and support through active listening, compassion, and individual empowerment. Students need holistic support that is personalized and actively incorporates awareness of how larger systemic inequalities may be impacting their wellness. Alana is excited to provide that support, advocacy, and care as a member of this new team on campus.