Graduate students face rising mental health challenges, including isolation, chronic uncertainty, and career-related stress, all of which have intensified in the wake of shifting immigration policies and academic pressures. While individual wellness interventions are valuable, strategies that integrate career support and community-building are essential to addressing the root causes of anxiety, burnout, and disconnection.
This interactive 60-minute workshop explores how two teams within the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the Medical School, Career and Professional Development (CPD) and Access, Success, and Engagement (ASE), support student well-being by offering programming that fosters professional development, connection, reduces isolation, and eases career-related stress. Together, they offer holistic support models that cultivate a sense of belonging, foster community engagement, and directly address the systemic stressors affecting graduate students.
Drawing on CPD's experience with career advising and cohort-based career readiness programs, the workshop will highlight how these offerings proactively support well-being by providing structure, peer validation, and a sense of agency amid career ambiguity. In parallel, ASE's work to build inclusive, culturally responsive communities through ongoing events, awareness campaigns, affinity spaces, and cross-cultural engagement provides a protective layer of social connectedness that is especially vital for international students.
Through case examples, data-informed best practices, and small group activities, participants will learn how CPD and ASE develop offerings in response to student feedback, recognizing that experiences of belonging and resiliency strengthen students as they navigate career challenges and the broader demands of graduate life. The facilitators will also share lessons learned from assessing student experiences, and discuss how to apply these strategies across different campus contexts.
This workshop aligns with the symposium's goals by promoting best practices that blend professional development and well-being through intentional, multifaceted engagement with students. It highlights inclusive strategies that build community via intercultural programming, mentorship, and affinity-based events, thus fostering belonging and reducing isolation. The workshop also explores persistent challenges, such as how immigration stress and cultural isolation uniquely affect international students, and how tailored support models can respond. Finally, the workshop will show how advising and programming address hidden gaps in the graduate experience, fostering resilience, empowerment, and help-seeking behaviors in ways that reduce stigma and promote well-being.
