SHARE Communities
SHARE Communities are weekly student-led groups where peers with similar interests, concerns, or wellness goals can find community and social connection that goes beyond surface-level. They are places to step away from the grind and let down the mask, where mutual support, imperfection, and “real” conversations are the expectation rather than the exception. SHARE Communities were created to combat loneliness on campus by giving students a place to be themselves and feel at home, and where their resources and wisdom can directly benefit others going through similar struggles.
Any UT student may submit an interest form and attend any open SHARE Community at any time of the semester. Submitting an interest form is not a commitment, just an introduction to connect you with our peer facilitators!
If you’ve participated in any Community below in a previous semester and want to come back, great! We just request that you fill out a NEW interest form to help us have a more accurate picture of how many people are interested in attending this Spring.
Spring 2025 SHARE Communities
SHARE Communities are part of an academic course for the students leading the groups. The topics for each SHARE Community are created and facilitated by trained student peer SHARE Support Specialists, who base their discussions on their own lived experiences and personal interests. Developing topics and leading these discussions is a core requirement of the students’ enrollment in the courses HED 178E and HED 178F.
Please note that all SHARE Communities are student-led and non-clinical and are not intended to replace clinical mental health services. Conversations with SHARE Support Specialists are private, except in specific circumstances. If members require professional assistance, SHARE Support Specialists will make every effort to connect them with the appropriate resources and provide information on available options.
While staff and faculty do not attend or observe SHARE Communities, faculty provide ongoing support, resources, and consultation for the student facilitators throughout their time as SHARE Support Specialists.
AnxieTEA
- Tuesdays beginning 2/4
- 5:15-6:15 p.m.
- Longhorn Wellness Center, SSB 1.106
- Ishan Baker, Christa Coe, Riley Jorgenson, Nick Overturf
Life is full of events that can bring up anxious thoughts and feelings, so come spill the tea with us! Although our experiences vary from person to person and day to day, many of us can relate to feeling overwhelmed, perplexed, or even ashamed of our anxiety at times. You’re not alone! Connect with a cozy, non-clinical peer community each week for a (literal) cup of hot tea, conversation, mutual support, and coping strategies! No formal diagnosis necessary.
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
Bevo's Broken Hearts Club
- Tuesdays beginning 2/4
- 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
- RLP 0.124
- Belle Hazzard, JJ Song & Robby Walia
Breakups – whether romantic, platonic, or familial – can be challenging and lonely. If you’re brokenhearted and feeling alone, we’re here to remind each other that we aren’t! In this peer-led community, we will vent about our broken hearts, encourage healing and self-reflection, and discover what healthy relationships can look like by building new ones together.
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
Black Sheep: Outsiders Together
- Tuesdays beginning 2/4
- 6:15 - 7:15 p.m.
- Longhorn Wellness Center, SSB 1.106
- Saniya Ali, Christa Coe & Kaili Doble
Sometimes we feel like we’re on the outside of our communities, be it family, friends, religious groups, identity-based community, or on campus, etc., leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness (and that’s okay!). Join Black Sheep as we navigate these feelings, build confidence in expressing ourselves, and learn to take up the space we deserve. Everyone is welcome to share and find support as we grow together. Come join the Herd, we’d love to have you!
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
Connecting to Cultures
- Mondays beginning 2/3
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Burdine (BUR) 228
- Krish Bangur & JJ Song
Join a community of peers from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds exploring our experiences around belonging, family, identity, and mental health. Build relationships with others and yourself through open discussion, crafting and mindfulness activities in an environment of mutual appreciation and curiosity. Take a break from the grind and join us each week as we share stories, find joy in our unexpected similarities and differences, and create space to reflect on the cultural beliefs and values that have influenced who we are and who we want to become.
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
Embracing LGBTQIA+ Narratives
- Thursdays beginning 2/6
- 5-6 p.m.
- RLP 0.120
- Sydney Fuller & Evelin Ruiz Crisostomo
Finding a supportive LGBTQIA+ community can be overwhelming, especially when you're busy with academics or still working through complex parts of your identity or personal history. Within Embracing LGBTQIA+ Narratives, we aim to celebrate, embrace, and delve into the many facets of being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Through artistic activities, intentional conversation, and storytelling, we hope to explore this facet of our lives while learning from members’ thoughts and experiences. We strive for a community that is welcoming for all, centered around our unique journeys, and hope you’ll find empowerment, healing, and joy alongside us!
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
From Here & There
- Wednesdays beginning 2/5
- 5-6 p.m.
- Location will be emailed by facilitators upon receipt of interest form.
- Evelin Crisostomo & Shreya Dheenan
Being a foreign-born student in the U.S. – or a child of a someone born in another country – comes with a unique mix of challenges and triumphs, and this community is here to explore them all! This is our space to explore and celebrate our experience—honoring the stories that shape who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we’re headed. Together we’ll dive into the nuances of finding a sense of belonging, the pressures that come with having roots in another country, and the strength it takes to bridge traditions.
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
Navigating College with ADHD
- Thursdays starting 2/6
- 12:30-1:30 p.m.
- Jester (JES) A223-A (Community Room in the COLA Well-Being Center)
- Sydney Fuller & Tarunika Sasikumar
Join us for a peer-led community where we’ll harness our strengths together in an informal, judgment-free environment. Each week we’ll connect (with plenty of fidgets!) to discuss recent challenges and wins, share ADHD hacks, destigmatize and reframe ADHD-related experiences, and hopefully become friends along the way. NO formal diagnosis required!
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
New Roots: Cultivating African Mental Wellness
- Wednesdays beginning 2/5
- 5-6 p.m.
- Main Building (MAI) 13
- Sandra Isiguzo
Being open and vulnerable about our emotions and mental health can be daunting, especially coming from an African background where those talks are often considered taboo. This, coupled with being a college student, can lead to burnout, isolation, stress, and more. Join us for a supportive space where you can feel encouraged, empowered, and validated in your experiences and identity while gaining communication and self-care skills!
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
SHAREing Sunshine: Support for Tough Times
- Wednesdays starting 2/5
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Longhorn Wellness Center, SSB 1.106
- Chandni Bhagtaney, Essie Diaz Perdomo & Ishwori Mukherjee
Have you been feeling the weight of sadness, grief, or depression? Join a cozy community of peers who can understand and can relate to the challenges that often accompany tough times. Whether this is a new issue you’ve never talked about or something you’ve been processing in therapy for a while, this is a non-clinical space for you to open up, share stories, and find hope through exchanging stories, encouragement, and coping strategies. No diagnosis required
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
Shy Longhorns Society
- Mondays starting 2/3
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Longhorn Wellness Center, SSB 1.106
- Deepa Sunkad & Andi Gutierrez
Are you shy, introverted, socially anxious? All of the above? No worries. At a campus as big as UT, it can be difficult to be shy and make meaningful connections/friendships. At the Shy Longhorns Society, we come together to create a community built upon support and validation for the struggles of being socially anxious/shy at UT.
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
Transfer and First-Gen Bevos
- Thursdays beginning 2/6
- 6:30-7:30 p.m
- Longhorn Wellness Center, SSB 1.106
- Erin Lamas, Nick Overturf & Michelle Veneros
Discover your weekly home-away-from-home in our cozy peer-led space where first-generation and transfer students gather to share, support, and thrive! Whether you're navigating new academic territory, worrying about being “behind” your peers, feeling lost (or found!) in a new city or campus culture, feeling homesick, or managing the pressures that come with being first-gen, you’re not alone! Come relax, share your thoughts, find mutual solidarity, friendship, and encouragement with others who understand your journey.
Note: This is not a replacement for clinical mental health services.
Don’t see a SHARE Community topic that interests you?
Check out the list of clinician-led CMHC Groups offered this semester on their website or email us a suggestion!
Want to lead your own SHARE Community?
We recruit new students who are interested in becoming SHARE Support Specialists in the Fall semester only. The application for the next cohort will open on October 1st.
See our Work With Us page for more information about this unique opportunity.
Email longhornshareproject@utexas.edu if you’d like to be added to our email list, and follow @healthyhorns on social media for more updates!