As Men's Mental Health Awareness Month Ends, Our Work Is Just Beginning

By Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D. 
President, Coppin State University 

As Men's Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, I encourage all of us to keep this critical issue front and center. The conversations we have in June should become commitments we carry throughout the year. 

Mental health is not a one-month conversation. It is a year-round responsibility. 

The Students We Don't Always See 

Every commencement season, I watch graduates cross the stage with smiles that reflect years of perseverance and promise. Yet behind many of those smiles are stories of anxiety, grief, family responsibilities, loneliness, and the pressure to succeed at all costs. For many young men, those challenges remain hidden until they begin affecting their academics, relationships, or future. 

As a university president, I have spoken with students who appeared to have everything under control but were privately battling stress, depression, or uncertainty about their next steps. On college campuses across the country, too many young men continue to struggle in silence. Too often, they tell me they believed they had to solve every problem on their own or feared that asking for help would be viewed as weakness. 

Lessons from Military Service 

My perspective has also been shaped by my military service. The military teaches resilience, discipline, and accountability, but it also reinforces the importance of relying on your team. The strongest leaders understand that seeking support is not a sign of weakness but an act of strength. It reflects wisdom, maturity, and responsibility. 

These are the same values we seek to instill in the young men we serve at Coppin State University. We want our students to understand that leadership is not about carrying every burden alone. It is about having the confidence to ask for help when needed and the courage to support others in return. 

Colleges Must Lead the Conversation 

I have long believed in the power of relationships. That is why I believe higher education and K-12 schools must work together to change the culture surrounding men's mental health early in a young man's life. 

We cannot afford to wait until students reach a crisis point before offering support. 

Colleges and universities must create environments where conversations about emotional well-being and healthy masculinity are normalized from day one. Presidents, faculty members, coaches, advisors, and mentors all play an important role in making it clear that seeking support is an act of strength, not weakness. 

At Coppin State University, we have integrated mental health education into orientation and leadership programs, expanded counseling services, developed programming focused on the needs of male students, and provided culturally responsive training opportunities for faculty and staff to help recognize signs of distress and connect students with resources. 

Supporting the Whole Student 

These efforts are especially important for Black men and other historically underserved populations, who often face additional barriers to seeking care because of stigma, cultural expectations, or limited access to resources. 

Our commitment to holistic student development has contributed to meaningful outcomes. Today, Coppin is Maryland's leading HBCU for male enrollment growth, and our male retention rate of 77 percent exceeds the national average of approximately 56 percent. 

But numbers only tell part of the story.

At Coppin State University, we believe student success means more than earning a degree. We are committed to developing men with confidence, character, resilience, and compassion so they can lead healthy, fulfilling lives while supporting those around them.

Awareness Must Lead to Action

As Men's Mental Health Awareness Month concludes, let us remember that awareness alone is not enough. If we want the next generation of men to thrive, we must continue building schools, colleges, workplaces, and communities where mental health is valued with the same urgency as physical health.

The month may be ending, but our responsibility is not.