A Proactive Approach to Student Wellness

September 13, 2017

“There are so many resources and people on Denison’s campus that are willing to, and want to, help you.”

When college students transition from home to a residence hall, taking care of their own health can take a backseat to coursework and activities. The Whisler Center for Student Wellness is there to help.

For example, the Whisler Center collaborated with the Academic Resource Center on a strengths-based program that earned the 2017 Innovative Program Award from the Ohio College Personnel Association. Of this skills-building group for students with ADHD, learning specialist Jennifer Vestal says, “we teach skills and strategies that aid in time management, organization, goal setting, self-advocacy, and resilience.”

Adds Sanda Gibson, a mental health counselor, “ADHD can be overwhelming and discouraging. We help them understand this is a brain-based diagnosis that affects executive functions.”

Denison’s Fresh Check Day is another student wellness program that is seeing great success. It encourages students to care for their mental health through activities that promote kindness, gratitude, individuality, and self-care.

“There are so many resources and people on Denison’s campus that are willing to, and want to, help you,” says Denison student Brooke Hubbard about the Fresh Check Day’s message.

Support for health and wellness initiatives at Denison will fund more programs like these—programs that put students in touch with the resources they need to thrive in college and beyond.