Journey

Building Resiliency

Welcome to your Mat-Su College educational journey. There are many rewarding experiences along the path to your ultimate goal; however, there are tests along the way (and not just the ones you take in class).

Mat-Su College sponsors a series of activities and wellness services for students, staff, and faculty to help you cope with stress, rise to challenges, and stay healthy as you make your way through this exciting time in life.
Journey MSC UAA logo
All Journey activities and behavioral care services are free.

Some events require pre-registration, so be sure to sign up on this page before attending.

Dragon-Approved Activities

Click a month below to see all of the upcoming Journey Events.

  • October

     

    Overcoming Implicit Bias

    Unconscious or implicit bias describes the automatic associations individuals make between groups of people and stereotypes about those groups. Under certain conditions, those automatic associations can influence behavior, making people respond in biased ways even when they are not explicitly prejudiced. More than 30 years of research in neurology and social and cognitive psychology has shown that people hold implicit biases even in the absence of explicit prejudice, simply based on exposure to or insulation from the social world around them. Unconscious bias can cause institutions or individuals to act on unconscious prejudices, even in spite of good intentions and nondiscriminatory policies or standards. 

    All of us have implicit biases – this is not our fault!  And all of us can take steps to diminish those biases and make our classrooms, workplaces and worlds even more equitable and inclusive. In this workshop, we’ll explore what implicit bias looks like and take a few steps towards an even more equitable future for all.

    Thursday, October 22
    11:30am-1:00pm
    Presenter: Libby Roddrick
    Zoom Link: https://alaska.zoom.us/IAB
     
     
    COVID-19 MythBusters
    COVID MythBusters discussion and highlight the work of public health nursing.
    Monday, Oct 26, 2020
    12:00 - 1:00 pm 
     Presenter: Renae Dillow
     Location: Zoom Link
    The Black Lives Matter Movement in Alaska & Beyond
    Please join us for a panel presentation and facilitated discussion about the Black Lives Matter Movement: its principles, goals, and efforts in Alaska and the U.S.
     
    Panelists:
    Lisa Wade
    Health, Education, & Social Services Division Director/Council Secretary, Chickaloon Village Traditional Council
     
    Colonel Simon Brown
    Alaska State Defense Coordinator, Brigade Commander/49th Brigade, Alaska State Defense Force
     
    Aundra Jackson
    President, MatSu MLK Foundation
     
    Moderator:
    Jasmin Smith
    Black Lives Movement Community Activist, BLM Alaska
    Tuesday, Oct 27, 2020
    6:00 - 8:00 pm 
    Presenter: UAA Mat-Su College, UAA/APU Difficult Dialogues Initiative and UAA/APU Books of the Year
    Location: Zoom Link

     

  • November
    Mat-Su College Counselor Teaches a Stress Management Tool
    Meet and greet with the counselor available to Mat-Su College students and learn about the services available to you. You will have an opportunity to ask any questions about this resource as well as learn another way to visualize and manage stress using a helpful tool developed specifically for college students. We all experience stress, and not all stress is bad. For example, good stress can help us work hard. Yet when we experience too much stress, especially over long periods of time, it can lead to additional challenges. Learning to use the stress bucket is one way to visualize and learn how to manage unhealthy levels of stress. During this Journey event, we will learn about using the stress bucket to help manage stresses while understanding the types of stress, the types of responses to different kinds of stress, and a variety of activities to release stress.
    Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020
    3:30 - 4:30 pm 
    Presenter: Niki Knowlton, MSW
    Location: Zoom Link

     

    Bringing in the Bystander®
    The UAA Student Health and Counseling Center's Health Promotion Team is excited to offer a virtual option for Bringing in the Bystander®, an evidence-based bystander intervention program. Rather than focusing strictly on the roles of perpetrator and victim, the highly interactive Bringing in the Bystander® curriculum uses a community responsibility approach. Our Health Promotion Team teaches bystanders how to safely intervene in instances where sexual violence, relationship violence or stalking may be occurring or where there may be risk that it will occur.
    REGISTRATION REQUIRED: (Registration Link Coming Soon)
    Wednesday, Nov 11, 2020
    3:30 - 4:45 pm 
    Presenter: UAA Student Health and Counseling Center's Health Promotion Team
    Location: Zoom (Link Coming Soon)
    Disclaimer: BIB Disclaimer

Don’t Go It Alone!

Counseling Services

Mat-Su College students may receive up to five free counseling appointments with an experienced behavioral health clinician. To make an appointment, call Mat-Su Health Services at 907-376-2411 and identify yourself as a Mat-Su College student. You may meet with the clinician on campus or at Mat-Su Health Services.

Campus Resources

All faculty and staff are available to assist you in achieving your educational goals. Just ask for help!

Mat-Su Valley Resources

Visit the United Way website for a complete listing of local organizations and agencies.