Assault support group needs members

With the approval of Health Services Licensed Student Counselor Jerry Cassiday, CSC student Keeya Marquez, 19, sophomore social science education major of Sedgwick, Colorado, and Health Services Counselor Victoria Volkman are starting a sexual assault support group.

Marquez will run the group with Volkman’s help.

The group is not up and running yet, but there has been some interest in the group already, Marquez said.

“We want a safe place for girls to share their stories, their victories, and just a place to connect,” Marquez said.

The group will be open only for female students on campus. Marquez said the reason is because she knows how hard it is for females to come forward and wants to make sure they know they have a safe place to come.

Although the group is only open for female students, Marquez said she wanted to make sure if there are males who need to talk to anyone they know they can contact the counseling services.

Confidentiality and a safe place is a top priority for the group, Marquez said, and because of that, there will be a screening process. The meeting place will not be given out to everyone to maintain the safety, but the group meets at 8 p.m., every Tuesday.

If you aren’t available to attend every week, Marquez said, it’s fine.

“I know we are in college and we are busy, so we just want to be there when they need us,” Marquez said.

For information for joining the group, those interested can contact Marquez at 970-580-6862 or at [email protected].

“I want to make sure everyone knows it’s ok to come forward,” Marquez said. “I know it’s hard and we understand, but it is ok to come forward. It’s fine if it’s not the right time for a certain person. We know it does take time.”

Marquez said she wants to be available to start that climb. It’s not an easy process, she said, but she wants to be the support to help those “climb the mountain.”