Welcome Remarks
Welcome to the landing page of the 2021 Pre-College virtual program! Here you will find general information on the virtual experience such as RA/CA staff introductions, video guides, and orientation information.
Below, you will find a video from the Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gina Casalegno, providing a message to the 2021 Pre-College Online Program.
Also you here is a welcome address from Amy Dicker, the Assistant Director for Pre-College Student Life, introducing herself and discussing the Pre-College Program.
We are so excited for the program to begin!
Meet the 2021Student Life Staff
You can learn more about our incredible RA/CA staff in their welcome videos below!
Events and Programming
Pre-College Student Life is working hard to offer students a wide variety of optional events, outside of academic class times, to enhance the overall student experience. These can include exercise classes, live-streamed tours of local hotspots, hangouts and trivia nights, movie screenings and maybe even Disney singalongs. In addition, students are welcome to use our resources to create their own events, from House Games competitions at local parks to instrument jams via Zoom or even begin a book club. We are dedicated to offering a large selection of and exposure to various events, such as what you would expect to get had we been an in-person program this year.
On-Demand Events
On-Demand events, ranging from bedtime story recordings to Group X classes, can be found on participants’ Canvas page upon CMU Login. Pre-College students have all access to campus resources, events, and offerings that the students, staff and faculty currently enjoy, via their Andrew ID. This includes Library Resources (and free access to NYT, WaPo, college directories, etc.), HeadSpace and so much more. Please call the office or email us with any questions regarding how to access.
Additional Learning Resources/Links:
Scenes from a Black trans life, by scholar and activist D-L Stewart (work)
Student Personal Resources:
National Crisis Lines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
Free and confidential 24/7 support for people in distress
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
Free 24/7 crisis support in the U.S.
National Helpline
1-800-662-HELP (4357)
24/7 treatment referral and information
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender National Hotline (LGBT)
1-800-246-PRIDE (7743)
The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ National Hotline)
1-866-488-7386
Or visit website to chat
Trans Lifeline
1-877-565-8860
Peer support hotline from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. Eastern time
RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network)
1-800-273-8255
How to find a therapist in your area:
- Find out what your insurance benefits are. It would be helpful for you to know what your mental/behavioral health outpatient benefits are. Find out if you have a deductible and if there is a co-payment (out of pocket cost) for the services.
- Find out who your insurance covers. There are many times when you can access your insurance website for a list of providers in the area. If this is not readily available online you can also call them and ask them to fax/tell you a list of providers in your area.
- Narrow down your search. Once you have a list of therapists to choose from consider the following questions: do I have a gender preference? What area/location works better for me? Some therapists list areas of specializations, if that is the case, think what areas would be helpful to you.
- Identify two or three therapists. Because therapists may not always have openings or availabilities in the time frame that you want, we recommend you select two or three therapists from the list that meet your criteria. Be prepared to call and leave a clear message with your name and a phone number for them to reach you in order to schedule an appointment.
- Meeting your therapist. We encourage you to approach the first encounter with openness and honesty, while also recognizing that you are trying to find a therapist who feels like a good fit for you. Notice how you feel when you talk to the person, get a sense of what it feels like when you are with them, and attend to your level of comfort or discomfort with them.
The APA Psychologist Locator and the Psychology Today website can also help you find a provider in your area.