Wellness Ambassador of the Month
Lina Ibarra, Office of Medical Education

How long have you worked at UC Davis? 

I have worked at UCD for 17 years today actually.  

What does wellness mean to you? 

Wellness to me should be more of a holistic approach. The overall preventive measures in body, mind and spirit are very important to overall wellness.  

Wellness is something we can always improve on and something we can share. 

Why did you become a wellness ambassador? 

In 2012 I relaunched blood drives in the Education building. With two other colleagues we started the Food Pantry for the UCD campus that is located in the Education Building. This led to the idea of what I could do here at work to encourage overall wellness in the workplace. I started on my own with a few health challenges and walking teams. Looking through the main campus wellness pages I came across the ambassador program and reached out to apply. I knew this was a way I could reach others, be a resource and pass on information of wellness activities on the UCDMC campus.   

How long have you been a wellness ambassador?  

About 3.5 years. 

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

I really enjoy seeing others involved and especially enjoy encouraging others to join living fit, our daily walks and recently the walking team challenges through UCD.  

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

Not having the information on events and resources to share with staff in a timely manner.  

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

Encourage events that may target those looking for ways to get started. It can be intimidating for someone to join an established walking or challenge team. Find places to share wellness activities such as staff meetings or newsletters.  

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? 

I feel I have contributed to UCD’s wellness in various ways such as bringing in blood drives, donation opportunities, and wellness challenges. Recently I began teaching fitness classes with living fit to really be able to be as involved in UCD’s Well-being and help others make healthy choices. 

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

I enjoy bicycling both indoor and outdoor! Biking has so many benefits not only to my health but the environment and its lots of fun to hit the many trails out there