Insights from The AAKOMA Project’s 2022 REPORT

The Mental Health Challenges Facing Youth of Color

Explore key insights from the State of Mental Health for Youth of Color 2022 report, which sheds light on the urgent need for culturally responsive mental health strategies in higher education.

This summary highlights critical findings and showcases how the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (MIEA) provides evidence-based mindfulness programs designed to meet these pressing challenges.

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Understanding the Landscape

The State of Mental Health for Youth of Color 2022 by The AAKOMA Project highlights critical mental health disparities among Black, Latino/e, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Native American, and Multiracial youth.

Over 50% of surveyed youth reported moderate to severe depression or anxiety, with Latino/e and Native American youth showing the highest rates.

Social media, racial trauma, and limited access to care further compound these challenges.

Key Findings

Mental Health Symptoms:
More than half of respondents experienced significant depression or anxiety.
Barriers to Care:
Nearly 30% of youth in need of mental health services did not receive treatment.
Social Influences:
Race-based trauma and harmful social media experiences affect 42% of respondents.
Resilience and Connection:
Despite challenges, 61% of youth expressed hope for the future, highlighting the power of supportive relationships.

Research centered on the mental health of Youth of Color is largely absent, making it almost impossible to provide scientifically grounded, culturally relevant, and effective interventions.

State of Mental Health for Youth of Color

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Bridging the Gap in Mental Health Research for Youth of Color

Youth and Young Adults of Color face critical mental health challenges, yet research about their experiences remains scarce.

The State of Mental Health for Youth of Color 2022 report addresses this gap, drawing on data from 2,905 youth to shed light on their unique struggles and resilience.

Why Mindfulness Matters for Youth of Color

The report underscores the need for proactive mental health strategies tailored to the experiences of youth of color.

Mindfulness offers a practical, research-supported way to improve well-being and foster resilience in college students, helping them thrive both academically and personally.

74.6% of Youth of Color report they have a hard time making it through stressful events.

State of Mental Health for Youth of Color

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How MIEA’s Mindfulness Programs Support Student Mental Health

At the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (MIEA), our evidence-based mindfulness programs are designed to address the unique stressors faced by students, including those from marginalized backgrounds. Mindfulness helps build resilience, improve focus, and enhance emotional regulation, making it a key tool for mental health and academic success.

MIEA’s approach aligns closely with the report’s findings:

Building Resilience:
Mindfulness promotes emotional regulation and reduces stress, equipping students to navigate challenges more effectively.
Creating Inclusive Spaces:
Our small-group mindfulness sessions foster connection and understanding, essential for students facing racial trauma or social isolation.
Expanding Access:
By training educators to implement mindfulness programs, we help make mental health tools more accessible on campuses.

The MIEA Difference

Caters to Emerging Adults

Acknowledging unique strengths and needs, MIEA engages emerging adults with storytelling and metaphors, making mindfulness relatable and accessible.

Personalized Mentorship

Offers one-on-one guidance from experienced teachers, ensuring tailored support for each participant’s unique journey toward mindfulness.

Tech Integration

Enhances learning through cutting-edge technology, ensuring the educational journey is modern, accessible, and efficient for all participants.

Structured Learning

Promotes habit formation with a structured curriculum that includes daily homework, a mindfulness log, and 10 minutes of daily practice for consistency.

Community-Centric

Builds a supportive environment through small, diverse group connections, fostering a sense of community integral to our approach.

A picture of students with Holly Rogers sitting in meditation while waiting for tickets to a Duke Basketball game

Evidence-Based Excellence

Supported by our Randomized Controlled Trial, our curriculum cultivates calmness, better rest, self-compassion, and mindfulness.

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Siddhant Babla

MIEA Trainer
Wellbeing Program Coordinator, Dartmouth College

Siddhant Babla brings his expertise in education studies and mindfulness to Dartmouth College as the Wellbeing Program Coordinator. With a Master's degree from KU Leuven in Belgium and training as a Certified Yoga Instructor from the Yoga Institute in Mumbai, Sid collaborates with campus offices to cultivate student wellbeing through evidence-based programs.

With an Economics degree from the University of London and a background in finance, Sid pivoted towards his passion for mindfulness, which he has been teaching since April 2023.

Mindfulness Journey

Sid was drawn to mindfulness from a young age, finding solace and strength in the practice amidst personal suffering and life challenges.

Connection to MIEA

Sid appreciates MIEA for its structured, evidence-based curriculum that enables him to address a broad spectrum of mindfulness concepts, making them accessible to diverse student populations.

Teaching Highlights

For Sid, teaching MIEA has been deeply gratifying. He relishes the chance to refine his instructional skills and witness the profound effects on his students.

"The most rewarding part has been the transformational impact it has had on the students."

Vision as a Trainer

Sid aims to support and collaborate with mindfulness teachers nationwide, contributing to the wellbeing and mental health of college students. He believes in a systematic approach to mindfulness training as a cornerstone for building a culture of prioritized mental health and wellbeing on campuses.

"At a time when students on college campuses across the nation and world are in need, being in community with teachers who are supporting them will be a tremendous learning opportunity in understanding the ways wellbeing and mental health for emerging adults can be transformed.
"In my experience working with administrators and leadership across a college campus, it has become clear that supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students through mindfulness based practices requires a systematic approach.
"Individual and group based mindfulness training programs are crucial in building personal and interpersonal self-awareness skills.
"Training facilitators to bring mindfulness based practices to different stakeholders is key in creating a culture where wellbeing and mental health is a priority and being a MIEA Trainer will allow me to realize this vision.

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Dylan Scott

MIEA Trainer

Dylan Scott is currently based in Berlin, Germany. He was born and raised outside Philadelphia, PA, and holds a B.S. in Exercise Science and Sports Psychology from Ithaca College. During his time at Ithaca, Dylan found mindfulness meditation to be a transformative resource in his struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. Upon graduating, Dylan moved back to Philadelphia and immersed himself in mindfulness courses at Pennsylvania University and Thomas Jefferson University as well as several retreats. He went on to receive extensive teacher training through the Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness at Jefferson, completing their Practicum in MBSR for Professionals and an internship in MBSR. When Dylan came across MIEA he saw the perfect opportunity to offer mindfulness practice back to new generations of college students and jumped at the chance to join a teacher training in October 2018.

Dylan has offered MIEA's Intro to Mindfulness curriculum to medical students and house staff through the counseling center at Jefferson. He is now finding new opportunities to bring MIEA abroad to Berlin. He is also a passionate organizer of Berlin's WakeUp Sangha based in the Plum Village tradition founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Outside of teaching mindfulness, Dylan feeds his passion for music by producing and DJing under the moniker Chirop and has his own freelance audio engineering business.

Tim Auman

MIEA Trainer

Timothy L. Auman became the University Chaplain to Wake Forest in August of 2003. Tim has over two decades of experience in ministry in higher education, pastoral care, and work with religious, secular, and spiritual identity. At Wake Forest, Tim aims to build relationships amidst difference, and to cultivate healthy contemplative and mindful practices for the transformation of self and world. He previously served as the United Methodist Ecumenical Campus Minister at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and as a pastor of two United Methodist congregations.

Tim created the MindfulWake program at Wake Forest in January of 2017. He began his mindfulness practice in 1985 as a way to reduce stress and credits mindfulness as key to his emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Tim practices in the Plum Village Tradition of Engaged Buddhism and will be ordained into the Order of Interbeing in April of 2020. He practices with the Planting Seeds Sangha of Chapel Hill and the Winston-Salem Community of Mindful Living.

Within a few months of learning about MIEA, Tim knew that he wanted to share this practice with his students. That would become an important part of his life’s work at Wake Forest. Eventually, faculty and staff started to ask Tim to teach them what he was discovering. They wanted to share the practice of mindfulness, just as Tim did. But as demand increased, Tim stumbled upon the idea of becoming a MIEA Trainer. A crazy idea at first, but being a teacher and practitioner at heart, he decided to give it a go. Tim believes that when you’re teaching with joyfulness and playfulness, you’re not just talking mindfulness...you’re living mindfulness.

Roger “Mac” Mancastroppa

MIEA Trainer

Roger “Mac” Mancastroppa has earned a MS in Education, a MA in Theological Studies and a BS in History. He taught history and religion for over a decade before joining the University of Richmond where he serves as the Associate Director of the Academic Skills Center. Mac is in his 9th year assisting students individually and collectively with academic and life skills development. He helps students transition to a mindfully engaged learning style where they conceptualize information through meta-cognitive and executive functions. He also leads a weekly meditation session on campus known as Mindful Mondays.

Mac’s personal mindfulness and meditation practices began during counseling and therapy for PTSD after exiting the military. His initial training began with a psychologist who practiced Buddhism and taught him the samatha that occurs with the vipassana practice. He began to integrate it into his work by using the CD’s by Jon Kabat-Zinn as a companion to his book "Full Catastrophe Living," over and over again with students. He now works with students, faculty, staff, local non-profits, churches, and offers keynotes on mindfulness and meditation, and is one of the co-leaders of a faculty learning community that brought MIEA to the university.

Mil Witt

MIEA Trainer

Mil Witt is a licensed PhD clinical psychologist and Psychology Training Director at the University of North Carolina’s Counseling and Psychological Services in Chapel Hill, NC (UNC-CAPS). Mil is passionate about working with emerging young adults in university settings. In addition to mindfulness, her professional interests include college mental health, the training and supervision of future clinicians, multiculturalism and diversity, and journal writing as a meditative practice. Prior to joining UNC-CAPS in 2014, Mil worked at the college counseling centers at UNC-Greensboro and Duke, and worked with medical students at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Mil was in the inaugural class of MIEA Teachers in 2013 and has been a Certified MIEA teacher since 2015. Her meditation journey started in the mid-1990s with her first meditation teacher and mentor Dr. Ronna Rachel Weiss, and followed with mindfulness trainings and practice at the Cape Cod Institute and at Duke Integrative Medicine. Mil is excited to work with, support, inspire, and mentor new MIEA teachers, especially those working with students of color. A proud first gen Haitian American from New York City, Mil lives in Carrboro, NC with her family. Mil is an avid tennis player and enjoys dancing, musical theatre, crochet, the beach, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Karen S. Newton

MIEA Trainer

Karen S. Newton served as Director of Health Promotion & Wellbeing in Campus Health Services from 2007 to 2018 as her team implemented a resilience framework to support the academic persistence and personal wellbeing of University of Louisville students. Inspired by her personal experiences with mindfulness and mediation practices through many years of her life’s ups and downs, Karen added MIEA Intro to Mindfulness courses, retreats, and drop-in Relax & Refocus sessions in 2015. Karen has also directed healthcare access initiatives for the University of Louisville and at The Healing Place Recovery. Karen graduated from San Diego State University and completed her Master of Public Health degree in community health promotion and nutrition science at Loma Linda University, CA.

Karen’s current life is focused on her purpose and what she loves: family, travel, practicing, and teaching. She teaches MIEA's Intro to Mindfulness and other courses at the Earth & Spirit Center Meditation School; Speed Art Museum; and her MIEA-based 14-week Mindfulness for Stress Resilience course at the University of Louisville College of Education. She is collaborating with University of Louisville colleagues to develop a research agenda to study MIEA's curriculum.

Karen’s public health point of view and personal perspective resonates with MIEA's commitment to social justice. Karen is committed to doing all she can to further the adoption of MIEA's Intro to Mindfulness courses in a variety of settings.

Erica Alexander

MIEA Trainer

Erica Alexander, flutist and music educator, has taught music and mindfulness in private and group settings for over 20 years. She has a Masters in Music Education (MME) with all-level teaching certification.

Erica is the founder and director of The Open Wings School which specializes in helping busy people find a lasting sense of calm in their lives and discover their own inner musicians. Among her most popular offerings are Be the Music workshops which incorporate Native American inspired flutes and meditation

Erica is currently enrolled in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.

She has loved working with MIEA for the past 5 years, teaching in local high schools and non-profit organizations and reviewing teacher portfolios.

Erica lives in Durham, NC, and enjoys hiking, swimming, gardening, and listening to and playing music from all over the world.

“It is clear that the only way to truly change our world is through teaching compassion…We must teach people, especially our youth, the source of happiness and satisfaction. We must teach them the ultimate source of happiness is within themselves.”
–The Dalai Lama, The Book of Joy

Chase Giroux

MIEA Trainer

Chase Giroux began her career in residential care for youth, followed by support work in an educational setting for children with behavioral health challenges. After attaining her Mental Health Counseling degree, she became a therapist trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She currently supervises an Intensive Care Coordination program, where she also provides agency-wide trainings and mindfulness practices.

After spending time in Buddhist Monasteries, practicing Mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, Chase was inspired to make this beautiful practice accessible to as many people as possible. Trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and certified in the MIEA model, Chase now works hard to share this practice in a more secular context. This program will deepen and expand these efforts by supporting practitioners in sharing and teaching the practice themselves.

Chase lives with her family in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she can be found both playing and coaching sports in her community.

Bibi Gnagno

MIEA Trainer

Bibi Gnagno is an educator and wellness advocate. Ms. Gnagno has been working with MIEA since 2016. She first began practicing meditation at church at the age of 14. While completing a law degree, she embraced mindfulness at a deeper level to cope with the daily stress of school. Bibi has taught mindfulness classes at the university level and infuses mindfulness in her interactions with students but also in her daily life.

Currently, she is the Dean of Restorative Practices at Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center. Prior to that role, she was one of the Directors of Academic Engagement for Global and Civic Opportunities at Duke University’s Academic Advising Center and the former Coordinator for Student Development at Duke University’s Women’s Center, where she focused on gender equity through the creation of experiential programming and training that emphasizes community building, empowerment, men’s engagement, activism, and civic engagement.

Her work outside of the office explores telling stories through film using a social justice lens. She also leads workshops on wellness through reflection, movement, and healing foods.

Vivien Roman-Hampton

Director of Outreach & Teacher Development / MIEA Trainer

Vivien Roman-Hampton is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and the founder of Activated By Wellness, a group mental health practice dedicated to serving historically underserved communities for over half a decade.

Vivien obtained her BA in Psychology from UNLV, a graduate certificate in Women in Politics and Public Policy from UMASS Boston, her MSW from Salem State University and is currently a PhD student at UConn where her focus of research is on mindfulness and DEI. She is already working alongside faculty on integrating mindfulness into education which is evident in her current endeavor: creating and teaching a critically engaged mindfulness curriculum tailored for BSW students.

In her role as the Director of Outreach and Teacher Development at the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults, Vivien has spent the last six years honing her skills as a mindfulness facilitator, teaching others to be mindfulness teachers, developing mindfulness curricula and fostering growth and awareness among young adults.

Vivien is part of the Hopping Tree Sangha located in Amherst, Massachusetts and is ordained into the Order of Interbeing, receiving her Dharma name of True Presence of Compassion. She also serves on the board of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and is their volunteer librarian.

When she isn't working, Vivien spends time with her family in the woods of Western Massachusetts.

Suit Fong Chan

Asia Pacific Regional Representative / MIEA Trainer

Suit Fong’s interest in mindfulness began more than twenty years ago when she attended her first meditation retreat in Nepal. In 2012, she made a life-changing decision to leave a global corporate career to pursue her passion, embarking on a continuous learning and teaching journey on evidence-based mindfulness programs. She finds the journey meaningful, transformative, and also nurturing.

Suit Fong is trained to teach mindfulness and compassion cultivation programs for children, young adults, and adults. She also facilitates and curates mindfulness programs to support families and individuals with additional needs in Singapore, where she lives with her family. It is now her life passion and learning, to serve and support others of different diversities, cultures, and (dis)abilities to learn to sit with ease with life’s discomforts, build mental resilience whilst practicing kindness to oneself and to others. Her current work involves working with women, youth, teenagers at risk, and those with special needs. As a MIEA trainer, she is very keen to help establish a cadre of professional mindfulness teachers in the Asia Pacific, so more emerging adults and youths in the Asia Pacific may benefit from the MIEA program.

Suit Fong is an accredited professional coach, and chartered accountant. She holds a Master's in Business Administration and a Master's Degree in Counseling.

Jennie Dickson-Mills

Director of Training / MIEA trainer
MSW, LCSW, SEP, E-RYT 200

Jennie is a psychotherapist and yoga/meditation teacher. She has over a decade of experience working in higher education, and thousands of hours of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness to people from a wide range of backgrounds. She received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2002 and a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2013.

Jennie’s clinical practice focuses on delivering experiential therapies through an anti-oppression and relational lens, with a specialized certification in Somatic Experiencing, a model that addresses trauma and its impact on nervous system regulation. Prior to opening her private practice in Chapel Hill, NC, in 2017, Jennie worked as a counselor at Duke University’s counseling center where she began teaching the MIEA curriculum to students. Alongside Holly and Libby, she began training MIEA teachers around the U.S. in 2014. Jennie spearheaded the first MIEA Train-the-Trainer Program in 2019 as Director of Training and immensely enjoyed growing the MIEA family of Trainers to support the growth of the program.

Contemplative mind-body practices transformed Jennie’s life and started her on her own path of healing and growth in her twenties. Since then, she has found deep comfort and inspiration in the wisdom traditions of yoga and Buddhism, which have helped form a bedrock of support on this ever-changing, complex human journey. As a new mother, she has opened to a new universe of opportunities to practice presence, gratitude, and curiosity. For more information about Jennie, check out her website at jenniedicksonmills.com.

Alex Brown

Director of operations / MIEA Trainer

Alex Brown developed his passion for practicing and sharing mindfulness in 2012 after participating in a guided meditation and having a transformative experience. Since then, he has sought to strengthen his love and compassion for himself and others through daily meditation, reading, and courses. He has an immense desire to help others do the same.

Alex is a native of Detroit, Michigan, loves spending time with his sons, family, and friends, and finds utter delight in dancing. He thoroughly enjoys helping people learn about the different ways in which they improve their overall health and wellbeing and his motto is “I live to serve.”

Holly Rogers

Co-Founder of MIEA / Author

Holly is one of the developers of the Intro to Mindfulness curriculum and a co-founder of the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (formerly known as the Center for Koru Mindfulness). She worked for over two decades as a psychiatrist at Counseling and Psychological Services, the student counseling center at Duke University where she developed strategies to help students incorporate the practice of mindfulness into their lives in a meaningful way.

Holly’s own mindfulness practice began more than 25 years ago when she had the good fortune to be taught and mentored by Dr. Jeff Brantley. Since that time, she has integrated the principles and practice of mindfulness into her clinical work with students and been continually inspired by the profound growth she has witnessed.

Holly is the co-author of Mindfulness for the Next Generation: Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Healthier Lives. She is author of The Mindful Twenty-Something, a handbook for young adults who wish to learn about mindfulness and meditation.

She lives in Durham, NC with her husband, dog, and two cats.

Libby Webb

Co-Founder of MIEA

Libby is a co-founder of the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults. Before retiring in 2016, she was a licensed clinical social worker at Duke University’s Counseling and Psychological Service, and a Clinical Associate on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center.

She has been working with emerging adults since the early 90's and finds great significance in helping them explore the question of meaning at a time of life filled with such ambiguity.

Libby came to the practice of mindfulness through her early participation in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program. Her meditation practice is built on the Vipassana tradition of mindfulness.

In addition to her interest in mindfulness, she also has a strong belief in the restorative benefits of small group work to illuminate the humanness of struggle. Libby lives with her family in Durham, NC and loves her adopted hometown. Most of her mindfulness lessons have been learned while cycling on the country roads surrounding her hometown.

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Insights from The AAKOMA Project’s 2022 REPORT

The Mental Health Challenges Facing Youth of Color

Understanding the Landscape

Key Findings

State of Mental Health for Youth of Color

Bridging the Gap in Mental Health Research for Youth of Color

Why Mindfulness Matters for Youth of Color

State of Mental Health for Youth of Color