Ocean County College OceanViews Magazine 2026 Winter Volume 19 Issue 02 - Flipbook - Page 9
CAMPUS CELEBRATION
Crea t i n g S pa ce fo r
SUPPORT
Students and staff came together for Fresh Check Day, an
engaging and uplifting event promoting mental health and
suicide prevention, hosted by OCC’s Counseling Center in
partnership with the Jordan Porco Foundation. The event
featured interactive wellness activities, self-care stations,
entertainment, and free giveaways provided with the support
of multiple departments and groups across the campus.
Fresh Check Day aims to create a positive and hopeful atmosphere where students can connect with campus and community partners and learn about the mental health resources
available to them on campus and in the community.
The event brought together an impressive collaboration
of OCC departments and community partners to create a
network of support for students. Campus participants
included the Counseling Center, VMRC, Advising, Student
Conduct, Enrollment, Helping Hands, Security, Tutoring,
Displaced Homemakers, TRIO, FIPSE, Financial Aid, Athletics,
EOF, WPE, Achievement Center, and Kean Ocean, as well as
students from the Social Work, Psychology, and Pride Clubs.
Community organizations joined the effort as well, with
Providence House, Preferred Behavioral, LivWell Healthcare,
St. Francis Counseling, Ocean County Department of Human
Services, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, DART
Coalition, 2nd Floor, and Bright Harbor all participating.
According to the OCC Counseling Center’s project coordinator, Nicolette Palazzo, “Each of these partners provided information about the services they provide along with facilitating
an activity.”
The day was filled with creative and meaningful activities
designed to promote wellness and self-care. Tables set up
across the campus mall encouraged students to create vision
boards, relieve stress with Play-Doh, paint rocks, make poetry,
spin a coping skills wheel, and play mental health trivia. As
Palazzo noted, “Every table provided such wonderful and
inspiring activities that made our students feel welcomed.”
By bringing together campus and community resources in
one welcoming space, Fresh Check Day helped to normalize
conversations about mental health and remove barriers for
students seeking support. The success of the event demonstrates the power of community and partnership in creating supportive campus environments where wellness and
self-care is prioritized.
table provided such wonderful and
“ Every
inspiring activities that made our students feel welcomed.
”
- Nicolette Palazzo, Ocean County College Counseling Center’s project coordinator
