Our Baer Scholar Community

One of those surprising but wonderful outcomes from the horror of the COVID pandemic was the beginning of our virtual peer meetups for our Baer Reintegration Scholar community. As groups moved their gatherings virtual at the start of the pandemic, it was inspiring to see communities grow and change with the times. It motivated us to eventually bring about virtual meetups for our scholars, who are located across the country, to connect and form bonds of support with one another. Attending school with a mental illness can feel quite vulnerable and isolating for many, and our scholar meetups are a safe space for students to come to for support, laughs, advice (when asked), and even pet, hobbies, and plant stories.

Just this past month, two scholars who found out they lived near each other in Massachusetts got together in person! This is the power of community and what bonds us. We are so happy to see new friendships formed through our scholarship program. Thank you Regina and Sam for sharing this picture with our Reintegration Community!