Wellness Ambassador of the Month
Jenny Nickell, John Muir Institute of Environment 

How long have you worked at UC Davis? 

30 years.  

What does wellness mean to you? 

Taking care of one’s self emotionally, mentally, and physically. People feel better when taking a more holistic approach to life. 

Why did you become a wellness ambassador? 

To provide an outlet for individuals who need motivation and want to try something new and connect to one another at the office. 

How long have you been a wellness ambassador? 

About one and a half years. 

What has been rewarding or positive about your experience thus far? 

People starting to talk about themselves. I purchased weighted hula hoops for the office and people started remembering their childhood and sharing stories. People have fun, they laugh and smile more. 

What are some of the challenges you face as a wellness ambassador? 

Not everyone shares the same enthusiasm. Others like to work out by themselves outside of work. We started with daily workouts, then a few times a week, and now we go in spurts, but everyone knows the office is always open and they can check out available exercise equipment anytime.  

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new wellness ambassadors? 

Engage everyone. You never know who might be interested, and be open minded. Keep thinking of new ways to introduce new ideas. I try to send out an email reminder quarterly of what we have here with workout routines and motivational sayings. Just getting people to talk about exercise usually helps them think about trying to incorporate some type of daily activity when they can. 

Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being aims to build an environment that makes the healthier choice the easier choice, while providing staff and faculty with the required support to make UC Davis the healthiest community. How do you feel you have contributed to our mission? 

Providing onsite support if anyone wants to talk and engage, providing healthier snacks when we have our monthly coffee hours or during office birthday celebrations. It’s all about choices. Of course the majority still likes the desserts but we also provide healthier options, such as yogurts, almonds, apple sauce, and fruits.  

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time? 

Kayaking. It’s fun to paddle around the lake and enjoy nature.