Through the trials and tribulations of college, Colgate University’s Shaw Wellness Institute is a safe space that hosts events like Wagging for Wellness, which brings therapy dogs to campus, and offers services including meeting with a dietician about healthy college food options and more. Students can work as Shaw Wellness Ambassadors, which include juniors Julianna Hallyburton and Sammy Perez and senior Ellie Marotta. They spoke about the experiences and impact they have had in their positions.
The Shaw Wellness Institute’s website defines Shaw Wellness Ambassadors’ roles as to “help Colgate undergraduates identify wellness needs on campus from a student’s perspective — and address them.” Hallyburton, Perez and Marotta each have different roles as ambassadors based on their individual interests and experiences. Hallyburton’s work involves collaborating with the Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAD).
“For the last year, we have been working with a local nonprofit, BRiDGES, to provide accessible Narcan to all of campus,” Hallyburton said. “At the beginning of this semester, we have installed five Narcan box locations around campus for students to pick up Narcan kits. We are working on promoting these locations and spreading the word. We are also working on training students on how to use Narcan and I hope to get as many students trained as possible. I work closely with [Alcohol and Drug Services Counselor/Coordinator] Steve [Elfenbein] and other ambassadors to promote balance and education when it comes to alcohol and other drugs.”
Having a tough time adjusting to Colgate in her first year, Hallyburton sought out resources on campus and worked to improve her mental health. This experience would eventually motivate her to educate the community on health and wellness.
Perez is the designated Student Health Services liaison for the Shaw Wellness Institute and works closely with them to provide students with necessary resources. She assisted with bringing back the free STI clinic, where students can get STI testing done with no charge.
Marotta is involved in wellness initiatives across campus, explaining that the Shaw Wellness Institute works with Student Health Services, Haven, Colgate Athletics and Greek Life Organizations to promote different facets of wellness.
“Our duties include giving the Bystander Intervention presentation to first-year students in the fall, doing community outreach and connecting with students through our Peer Support Program,” Marotta said. “We partner with Morgan’s Message and One Love to do work with domestic and sexual violence prevention. We promote reproductive and sexual health through our Wellness Supply Program and we organize wellness events like Pet Therapy.”
While each engaging with campus differently, Shaw Wellness Ambassadors seem to agree on the varying definitions of health and wellness.
“It is multidimensional,” Perez said, “Shaw has a model of the eight dimensions of wellness and I think it shows how diverse wellness is. To me, wellness is taking care of your mind and body. It is making time for yourself, doing the things you love and being kind to yourself. Everyone has different ways of practicing wellness, which is why Shaw emphasizes the diversity of wellness.”
The eight dimensions Perez mentioned are physical, social, occupational, environmental, spiritual, emotional, financial and intellectual, sentiments that Hallyburton echoed.
“To live a healthy life, one needs to find their balance between these dimensions,” Hallyburton said. “It’s different for everybody, so it’s up to each individual to find what works for them. For me, I like to prioritize my emotional and physical wellness with the others close behind.”
It is important that students remember not to throw themselves only into their intellectual health and ignore the other seven dimensions that the Shaw Wellness Ambassadors advocate for. Colgate is an elite academic institution and promotes an environment where it’s important to succeed in classes, which may make it easier for some to sideline other dimensions of health. Fortunately, there are students who can relate to the experience of advocating for wellness and who want to help other students succeed.
