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April Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Samantha VanAcker

• April 01, 2024

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

Wellness, to me, means living your life to optimize mental, physical, and social health.

March Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Mercedes O'Madden

• March 01, 2024

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

Wellness means embodying our daily habits that assist us in maintaining or moving toward good health outcomes. As a dietitian, I love that I can provide science-based advice, using practical tools to build an eating pattern that is sustainable and adequate to meet nutritional needs at all stages of life.

February Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Colleen Anthonisen

• by Sofia E Scanlon
• February 01, 2024

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

Wellness for me is finding ways to incorporate things into your day that bring joy or make you and those around you feel good. Developing awareness around when these things would feel helpful, or when you may need to take a break, is also an important aspect of wellness! 

January Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Christine Felkel

• January 01, 2024

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Wellness to me means alignment of one’s mind, body, and spirit to allow an individual to grow and experience life to its fullest potential."

December Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Simarjit Sandher

• December 01, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"There are many aspects of wellness including a healthy diet, maintaining an exercise routine, and practicing mindfulness through meditation or completing acts of kindness daily."

November Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Cornel Wade

• November 01, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Wellness means taking care of mind, body, and soul. Each of these components has a method of communicating with us to let us know when something is in or out of alignment. The objective of wellness is to recognize the cues, keep everything in alignment, and maximize our health and well-being".

October Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Melissa Bain

• October 02, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Wellness means self-care, which encompasses a lot of things and is personal to each individual. It is not just adding something, but managing your work and home life so that you have time to care for yourself". 

September Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Jojo Melendres

• September 01, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Wellness is living life with choices that make you feel happy, or even excited and hopeful for greater things to come."

Summer Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Stacy Hayashi

• July 01, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

Look to other wellness ambassadors for advice and inspiration. Don't be afraid to get creative, and always apply for the wellness grant!

June Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Dominique "Nikki" Cargill

• June 01, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

For me wellness means to "Take Care". Giving care, energy, attention to aspects of our lives which bring us to a healthier state.

May Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Melyssa Rehman

• May 01, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"One of the biggest benefits has been spending quality downtime with my team, and seeing the healing that can happen when we are allowed to put work to the side for a bit."

April Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Daphne Darmawan

• April 03, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

I find wellness in connecting with people over shared experiences. I love meeting new people and hearing them speak about their passions. It’s even better if they can share and teach me some new skills along the way!

March Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Heather Segale 

• March 01, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

Wellness is caring for the mind, body, and soul through practices that help maintain the various dimensions of wellness (physical, spiritual, emotional, occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial, and social).

February Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Kathy Cruz Rodriguez

• February 01, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

Creating and maintaining balance in life is what wellness means to me -- diligently seeking, daily, to synergize 8 interconnected dimensions of wellness.

January Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Maya Spiteri

• January 04, 2023

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

I strive to make my colleagues feel supported in their own wellness goals, as well as bring staff together in a positive and uplifting way.

December Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Adrianne Bataska

• December 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

Meet people where they are at, and connect with your colleagues to learn what activities they would appreciate!

November Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Sarah Janus

• November 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

I love to build community, and through the Wellness Ambassador program, I feel our internal community has been strengthened.

October Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Corrie Stone

• October 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Don't be scared to try new things! I believe it's healthy to step outside of your comfort zone!"

September Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Amira Solorzano

• September 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Wellness means taking the time to take care of yourself, whether it’s taking care of your mind, body, or soul. It’s taking time out to give your body and mind the things that it needs."

Summer Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Melissa Hatten

• July 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"To change your health, you only have to make that first change, and I hope I can give someone the idea for that first change."

June Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Simona Lara

• June 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being
• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I find wellness to mean living a healthy lifestyle to support physical and mental well-being. Really, that encompasses anything - taking time for self-care, treating myself to a new fun activity or delectable snack, creating a routine, pushing myself to learn something new . . . the list goes on."

May Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Howard Channel

• May 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being
• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Wellness means being mindful of yourself, including your emotional and physical health, and making thoughtful choices that leads you towards a fulfilling life of positive growth. Wellness is a personal decision, and we get to define how this goal can be accomplished in our own life."

April Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Juviya McDonald

• April 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being
• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I've contributed to the mission by starting the conversations with my coworkers and management to consider doing activities that will promote a healthier work environment, having wellness conversations, and having a wellness mindset to take actions towards being a healthier department overall."

March Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Vanessa Reed

• March 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being
• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"As a Wellness Ambassador, I help create accessibility to wellness opportunities and create events based on my colleagues' interests. I cheer on their participation, accomplishments and offer resources."

February Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Donna Gutierrez

• February 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being
• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Being a Wellness Ambassador has given me the opportunity to learn more about ways to live a healthy lifestyle. Sharing that information with my team has been rewarding as their feedback, upon receiving this information, has been positive and encouraging. In addition, I have developed wonderful friendships with my committee members who are just as passionate about sharing health and well-being with the rest of our team."

January Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Sanne Stark Fettinger

• January 01, 2022

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Wellness means overall well-being: being active by actively connecting, actively caring, actively giving, and actively moving are my go-to tactics toward well-being! Well-being is something that we DO. We eat well, move well, sleep well, rest well, work well, and relate well. Wellness means that we live well!"

December Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Jonathan Parrott

• December 01, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I feel I contribute to the mission by actively promoting making healthy choices. I encourage my peers to go walks, take the stairs, I provide them a helpful ear when they need someone to talk to, and I promote a balance between work and life."

November Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Brianna Gunnarson

• November 01, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I think of wellness as a measure of the overall healthiness of my life. This includes all aspects not just physical, although that definitely plays a big part, but also emotional, relational, and mental healthiness too. When I'm enforcing healthy boundaries... when I get up and walk... when I use my finances ... when I take rest time for my emotional health that's a part of wellness." 

October Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Heather Martin

• October 01, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I try to make talking about wellness a regular practice. Talking about wellness creates a culture where wellness is a priority. Helping people get started with one small step is how wellness happens. Eventually, the healthier choice is the easiest choice."

September Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Sarah Herrera

• September 01, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

Focusing on wellness has been one of the greatest gifts I have given myself and shared with others. In a world full of constant distractions and challenges, wellness gives me the opportunity to slow down, hit the rest button, and focus on the things that matter most. Wellness also drives my creativity, which is an important part of my work that brings me joy.

Summer Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Yevgeniy Gnedash

• July 01, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"Wellness to me, means a healthy state of contentment and to be in a state of equilibrium. Wellness is having the tools to turn negative situations into positive ones, to have the resources to grow and to pursue passions in life."

June Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Kylie Podsakoff

• June 01, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I was interested in doing more on campus and the notion of being a Wellness Ambassador resonated with me after learning more about the program. I like the holistic approach this program and the campus has taken to well-being."

May Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Patricia "Shawn" Moreno

• May 03, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I try my best to lead by example. I workout, walk and meal prep everyday. I love to share healthy recipes with everyone." 

April Wellness Ambassadors of the Month | Patty Covington-Fleming & Sonya Abel

• April 05, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"The most rewarding part of being a wellness ambassador has been to see employees participate and enjoy the wellness activities..." - Patty Covington-Fleming

March Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Trina Renee Wilson

• March 01, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"It is rewarding when staff form groups and work together to maintain and establish healthy habits. It’s even more rewarding when staff achieve their health goals..."

February Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Karen Kinser

• February 01, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I became a Wellness Ambassador because I wanted to share my wellness passion with others in my department. It is rewarding to see others participate and it helps me stay on track!"

January Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Myrene Abot

• January 04, 2021

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"The most rewarding part is knowing that I'm able to help others in becoming more active physically, mentally, and socially..."

December Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Michelle Harris

• December 01, 2020

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"I believe the most rewarding experience thus far has been seeing the enthusiasm and pure responses from those that have participated. One example of an event we've hosted is Love on Loan, where the SPCA comes out with animals for staff to snuggle up with and destress. The smiles and laughter in the room were truly inspiring to witness at work."

November Wellness Ambassador of the Month | Mary Beth Penfold

• October 22, 2020

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"My motto is: bring your best self to work. Making good and healthy choices becomes easier when you have the right mental approach, attitude, perspective, etc. I try my best to demonstrate that mindset daily and to positively encourage my staff around me. Your actions can inspire others and I feel it is my responsibility as the units' ambassador to be positive and motivate others to do good works."

October Wellness Ambassadors of the Month | Emily McDaniel and Katherine MacDonald

• September 24, 2020

• Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being

"What continues to be rewarding within this role is having the opportunity to continue to collaborate as co-ambassadors and with the collective child life team regarding ways we can promote health and wellness into each and every day to maximize coping, especially as we navigate many current compounding stressors (work, home and world-wide)."