It is no secret that college can be stress-inducing. With all the deadlines and studying, there’s no question as to why over one-third of first-year college freshman are affected by a mental illness. According to MentalHealthFirstAid.org, “In the United States, almost half of adults (46.4 percent) will experience a mental illness during their lifetime.” However, some students at Southeastern have a special way of coping.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA) are impacting the lives of students here at Southeastern. An ESA is a companion that provides comfort to a person suffering with a debilitating emotional disorder/mental illness like anxiety or depression. Unlike service animals, which are companions trained to perform tasks specific to their owner’s needs, ESA’s are usually only trained for emotional stability.

Sophomore education major, Taylor Thompson, lives with her one-year-old cat Sam in Shearer Hall. According to Thompson, having Sam on campus has allowed her continue her college education.

“When I adopted him, I was struggling with a lot. I was overwhelmed with stress and withdrawing from all of my classes,” said Thompson. She says her cat helps her to decompress after her rough days. “I love to crawl into bed, listen to him purr and love on me. It’s therapeutic because I’m not alone,” she explained.

Morgan Blake, a junior wildlife science and biology/zoology double major, is another student who has benefited from an ESA on campus. She lives with her boyfriend, Dillan Browne, and his ESA kitten, Mercy.

Blake has seen first hand how impactful Mercy is for Browne. Blake also claimed she benefits from having an ESA around, saying, “Animals are known to reduce stress in humans, and Mercy does just that for me. They provide a form of happiness and love that simply isn’t found anywhere else.”

Emotional Support Animals are life-changing for college students. If you believe you would benefit from having an emotional support animal on campus, reach out to SOSU’s Coordinator of Disability Services Tiffany Tate or contact Student Support Services for more information!