On Thursday, March 2, 2023, mental health advocate and social media lifestyle influencer Sydel Curry-Lee spoke to Ferrum College students and employees about balancing college life, mental health, and athletics as part of the College’s JED Campus programming in support of student well-being and mental health. Curry-Lee, who was on campus for Mental Health Awareness Day and Women’s Leadership Day, has over 700,000 Instagram followers with whom she shares her life while emphasizing mental health advocacy.
Curry-Lee became a mental health advocate because of her interest in psychology. “I always knew I was going to be a psychology major, even in high school,” said Curry-Lee, who began her mental health journey after an abusive relationship. She attended Elon University to study psychology and child development and play volleyball. After injuries—including a concussion that sidelined her freshman year—forced her early retirement from volleyball, Curry-Lee worked to find an identity outside of being a student-athlete.
“When I stopped playing, I went through a struggle of not knowing who I was and not knowing how to deal with all of the mental health issues I was faced with. At the time, social media was a place where people could go to relate to others and to feel less alone. I couldn’t find anyone who was speaking authentically about what they were going through. I wanted to be that person for someone else,” explained Curry-Lee.
A friend convinced Curry-Lee to begin posting mental health related content on her Instagram account and after seeing how many people were making content creation their full time careers, Curry-Lee decided to quit her job and give social media a try. She received positive feedback from her followers and built her own community to not only help others, but to also help herself.
Today, Curry-Lee posts her content on a variety of different platforms. In addition to her Instagram account, she has a YouTube vlog channel titled “A Curry Girl” and a TikTok account. Curry-Lee also produces a podcast, “Because Life”, on which everyday people share stories about their lives and a licensed therapist offers input. In addition, Curry-Lee, has a young son, Daxon, with her husband, Phoenix Suns professional basketball player Damion Lee, and is the co-owner Domaine Curry Wine, which she owns with her sister-in-law, Ayesha Curry.
With all she has going on, Curry-Lee has difficulties finding balance. “In the influencer space, you’re constantly comparing yourself to what others are doing. You have to stay on trends, and grow. Because I struggle with my mental health, I sometimes struggle with being an influencer because I’m not like everyone else. To find balance, I take time for myself, and I’m honest with my audience if I do take a social media break,” said Curry-Lee.
Curry-Lee hopes that the Ferrum College students are able to relate to her because she’s been in their shoes before. “I went to school for four years and was a student-athlete. Even though it’s been six years [since I was a student], I still remember what it’s like to be in that position. Freshman year, I went in with high hopes of contributing to my team and making friends in my dorm, and just having great expectations for myself. Not everything worked out the way that I wanted it to, and that’s normal with anyone’s journey. No one is going to completely do what they envision for themself, and that’s okay,” she said.
Curry-Lee offered advice to students who are struggling with mental health. “Take advantage of the resources that are available on campus. Every school has a counselor, and it’s a great place to start. Talking with a counselor was the first step in my therapy journey. I also recommend telling someone how you’re feeling, and to say it out loud. Don’t make any irrational decisions until you have spoken to someone about it,” she advised.
Curry-Lee also encouraged student-athletes to find hobbies outside of their sport and other activities that will make them happy. “Start finding things that bring you joy, and bring that into your post-grad career. It’s going to be a big change,” concluded Curry-Lee.
Ferrum College is one of 400 campuses participating in JED Campus, the JED Foundation’s nationwide initiative designed to help schools evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety nets.
The JED Foundation is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for the nation’s teens and young adults by partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. By joining JED Campus, Ferrum College demonstrates a commitment to the emotional well-being of its students.
For more information about JED Campus, visit https://jedfoundation.org/our-work/higher-ed/
