Two more students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have died, rocking a school already mourning the deaths of four students last year.
School officials say the two recent deaths occurred while students were at home on winter break. Nabil Johnson died of an epileptic seizure in Ohio, and Nathan Morin died by suicide in New Hampshire.
Johnson was a 25-year-old online graduate student studying robotics
with a love for hockey
Six students have now died since July 2021, three of them by suicide.
Suicide has been
an issue on Massachusetts campuses
for years with more than 214 students taking their own lives between 2007 and 2016.
Mental health experts say
In a recent message to students, WPI President Laurie Leshin called the recent deaths “unsettling” and “deeply upsetting.”
“As a university, we expect to launch our students into their futures, and it is jarring and painful to lose them,” she said. “If you are struggling for any reason, please reach out to a friend, a colleague, a family member — or any of the faculty and staff who, I promise, care about you deeply. We are here for you.”
Since the start of the pandemic, several schools across the country — including Dartmouth College and University of North Carolina — have lost multiple students to suicide. A national survey last spring by the American College Health Association found
one in four students
At WPI, students have been raising concerns about mental wellness and the campus’ rigorous academic culture. In November, students held a rally and met with school administrators to discuss ways to address mental health issues.
Andy Li, a senior studying mechanical engineering, wrote an
op-ed in the student newspaper
“Most of the time I would just try to work. Work and work and work until my problems went away. And when they didn’t I would try to explain to myself how irrational my thoughts and worries were,” Li wrote.
WPI administrators say they’re urgently trying to address mental wellness among students. In response to the deaths last year, the school established a mental health and well-being task force and expanded programs for students and employees on managing stress.
The university also plans to open a center for well-being this year that will teach students about stress management and fostering social connections.
“The more we can emphasize when students are struggling that, ‘There are people here to support you, we’re all in this together’ — that, I think, is what’s going to help,” said Philip Clay, WPI’s senior vice president for student affairs.
Clay agreed the school’s academic culture, including the rush to learn a lot of material over a short period of time, could be part of the problem. He said the task force is reviewing ways to make students’ experiences less stressful.
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.