More than half of college students are experiencing anxiety, depression or both. And although college mental health issues peaked during the pandemic, it’s been getting worse for the past two decades. In response, many schools have invested in counseling centers and suicide prevention methods. But they haven’t been addressing the role that universities themselves play in contributing to these issues — and that’s through academic stress. Especially in the STEM field (science, technology, engineering and math).

For college students one of the highest predictors of depression, stress and burnout is feeling like they don’t belong. And women and students of color are less likely to experience a sense of belonging in STEM. Because of this, many students like Mara and Brooke get weeded out. Ultimately leading to a less diverse STEM environment and preventing bright students from achieving their dreams and contributing to the field just because they don’t fit within the exclusionary conventions of the STEM culture.

But it’s also a question of wellbeing. Of whether people are able to thrive or not. Even if they manage to stay, the struggle, the depression, the anxiety, they don’t just disappear. They affect your ability to think, to advocate for yourself, to take advantage of the opportunities that you came to college for. They affect your future wellbeing and whether you even graduate or not.

This film is a wakeup call for professors and universities who are concerned about students’ mental health but are not addressing how they themselves are contributing to the issue. It’s also a call to the thousands of college students who are struggling and who like me, thought they were alone.