Students gathered Thursday, Jan. 30 for the initial meeting of Fearless; a new club on campus offered by Veronica Umbrell of Counseling Services, geared toward improving self-esteem.  Fearless will be held once a week until the end of the semester and is open and free to anyone who would like to attend their meetings.

Umbrell started the club because it seemed to be a topic that many people were interested in and could benefit from learning more about. “Self-esteem is something that will help everyone reach their goals,” Umbrell said. This group is an opportunity for people to discuss their problems and get guidance on how to deal with them. “Self-esteem is a foundation and springboard for many aspects of life,” Umbrell said. Her goal for this group is to teach better self-awareness tools to help build self-confidence.

Fearless is a group environment where people can talk and listen to each other to assure them that they are not alone and this method of counseling may be preferable to some students.  Throughout the year, Elizabethtown College offers many clubs and groups through the counseling department.

These groups help students in areas that the counselors feel are beneficial.  “Similar to many colleges, counseling services at Etown provides counseling to current students in a confidential and diversity affirming environment at no additional charge. Students can talk to counselors about a variety of situational, developmental and mental health concerns. The variety of groups offered are consistent with what is offered at many colleges, and we are open to starting new groups based on the current needs of our students,” Bruce Lynch, director of student wellness, said.