On Friday, May 2, KO welcomed Hakeem Rahim, a renowned mental health speaker and trainer, to campus.
The month of May is a rich time of recognition culturally, historically, and ideologically. One of the many things being celebrated this month is Mental Health Awareness. Kingswood Oxford works hard to ensure voices are being brought to campus to empower and educate students on a daily basis, and the speaker for the month of May was nothing short of that.
Mr. Rahim graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in psychology and then went on to receive a dual Master’s degree from Columbia University.
An accomplished scholar, the Ivy League setting is where his struggle with his mental health began. Mr. Rahim spoke of his first experience with a panic attack and his first manic episode. “I had a full-blown manic episode, both seeing Jesus on a Cambridge street corner and hearing cars talk on the same night,” he said. “I was hospitalized for two weeks and began taking psychiatric medication.”
While sharing his story, Mr. Rahim established the first half of his life being defined by his mental illness. However, the key takeaway he wanted for KO students and faculty to understand was that you are not defined by the experiences you’ve home through, but rather they are just a part of your story.
The presentation was interactive with the crowd, and Rahim led the community through different exercises. One of them was establishing one another as a “safe space.” He asked the crowd to stand if they considered themselves a safe space for anyone who might be struggling with their mental health. Almost every person in the audience stood, thus reiterating the strong and supportive community we have at KO.
Mr. Rahim also taught the importance of mindfulness, breathing, and taking a step back when needed. He introduced a mindfulness method that was interactive for students as they got to try it out for themselves. Everyone held out their hands, and with one hand, they ran their pointer finger up and down each finger of the opposite hand with a deep breath each time. Students felt more relaxed and centered, and it was valuable in teaching different coping skills, as it looks different for everyone.
In addition to this, students also got to share their personal experiences and ways they cope with their mental health, some popular answers being working out, speaking with a therapist, and speaking with loved ones whom they know they are safe with and free from being judged.
While there were many lessons taught and learned throughout his presentation, it was imperative that Mr. Rahim left the audience with one main takeaway, acceptance. No one is perfect, we are all flawed, but that’s what makes us individually unique. Mr. Rahim spoke to the importance of accepting our wins, our failures, and every experience we endure in our lives whether they are good or bad. “What I have realized is, I am not on my meds nor my doctor appointments,” he said. “I am not bipolar, I am accepting, I am Hakeem Rahim.”
A big thank you to Mr. Rahim for such a powerful and moving presentation. Another thank you to Dean of Students Kata Baker, Upper School Mental Health Counselor Felicia Velez, and Active Minds at KO for making this possible and working to bring mental health awareness to our community.
