Wellness Ambassadors

Why I Became a Wellness Ambassador:

I became a Wellness Ambassador because I’m passionate about fostering a supportive campus environment where students feel empowered to prioritize their well-being. I believe wellness is a journey, not a destination, and I want to help others find balance and fulfillment in their daily lives.

My Favorite Dimension of Wellness:

I am most passionate about the emotional wellness dimension because I believe in the importance of self-awareness, healing, and creating space for honest conversations about mental health, especially in communities where these discussions are often overlooked.

My Favorite Wellness Tip/Practice:

One of my favorite wellness practices is journaling. Writing down my thoughts and emotions helps me process experiences, track my personal growth, and gain clarity on things that might otherwise feel overwhelming.

Hobbies & Interests:

I enjoy tap dancing, reading books, listening to music, and making Pinterest boards in my free time.

Fun Fact:

I am a citizen of both the United States and Nigeria. 

Why I Became a Wellness Ambassador:
As someone passionate about understanding how different aspects of life can influence overall wellness, I decided to become a Wellness Ambassador to support the community in fostering a healthier lifestyle, seeking meaningful resources and strategies to enhance well-being, and inspiring a culture of self-care. 

My Favorite Dimension of Wellness:
I am really passionate about intellectual wellness and thinking about strategies to reduce the stress and pressure involved in academic settings. I would love to help people improve their organizational skills and overcome issues underlying learning, like procrastination, demotivation, and insecurity. 

My Favorite Wellness Tip/Practice:
When I feel lazy or unmotivated to do my tasks for the day, I turn on my LED bedroom lights in “party” mode, put on some Brazilian music on my headphones, and start dancing around the room as if I were at a concert (detail: I don't know how to dance, but that's okay). 

Hobbies & Interests:
In my free time, I really like to cook (even though 90% of my recipes are totally different from what I expect). Specifically, I love reproducing common foods such as pizza, cake, sweets, and traditional foods but with healthier and less caloric ingredients. It's very interesting to see how eating tasty and different foods, but healthily, is possible.

Fun Fact: 
I have read the book "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green more than 60 times in 3 years.

Hobbies & Interests: In my free time, I enjoy reading, journaling, exploring new music, and cooking.

Fun Fact: I am the oldest and youngest sibling

Why I Became a Wellness Ambassador:

For me, wellness has meant trying to overcome the nihilism that comes with engaging in a reality that offers endless bad news. I have struggled to deal with the contradictions that come with being a student in the current climate, and I want to support peers in practicing tragic optimism and resilience while maintaining communal and spiritual well-being. I define 'tragic optimism' as the knowledge that even in the worst situations, there is joy, and that when you look at others, you are looking at yourself. I want to help foster a community mindset that counters our individualistic culture, and assist peers in implementing a spiritual and bodily awareness that combats our at times disconnected consumerist mindset. I want to be an ear for students to advocate their needs and frustrations, and handle problems in a way that isn't dismissive or performance-focused; the goal isn't just to function but to feel fulfilled, content, and empowered.

I want to help foster a competitive mindset that counters our individualistic culture, and assist peers in implementing a spiritual and bodily awareness that combats our at times disconnected consumerist mindset. I want to be an ear for students to advocate their needs and frustrations, and handle problems in a way that isn't dismissive or performance-focused; the goal isn't just to function but to feel fulfilled, content, and empowered. 

My Favorite Dimension of Wellness:

I think the most important dimension of wellness is interpersonal and communal wellness. The United States has faced disintegrating communities for various reasons, and the advent of social media has contributed to the difficulty inherent in forming meaningful connections. My favorite thing about interpersonal and communal wellness is that personal well-being is a fundamental part of it; learning how to properly love and care for ourselves teaches us how to show up for each other. I love spiritual wellness and would love to talk about it with you, as it is something vast and personal-- and surprisingly integral not only to finding your values and morals, but living by them!

When we foster and maintain spaces for those around us to communicate, we allow each other to be our best selves. Rethinking our relationship with our communities redefines what it means for us to be global citizens, empowering us to change the structures around us and organize toward the goals that feel out of reach individually.

My Favorite Wellness Tip/Practice:
It is hard to pick a favorite, but my favorite category of wellness tips/practices is those that connect you to your body. Stretching is great. Taking some time at the end of the day to just stretch what feels like it needs a stretch is a wonderful way to listen to yourself. I try to keep a menu of stretches in my head that I can choose from, and it allows me to create my own stretching routine in the moment. Surprisingly, I have found that it has helped me build trust in myself.

Hobbies & Interests:

It is so important to make time for hobbies! As silly as it sounds, I like crafts that engage the hands because I feel like they connect me to my capacity to do things and touch things in the real world. Right now, I'm into cross-stitching, which has been super fun (I am happy to show you how!). It's nice to make something, and they usually make for good casual gifts. I like journaling with a pen/pencil and paper; it feels entirely different than using my phone or laptop, and for some reason, I find it easier to have a conversation with myself when I'm writing with my hands. I like going on short little bike rides to get some air, sometimes to decompress between chunks of focused time.