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Mary Kaye Waldron Award Winner |
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Mary Kaye Waldron Award Winner |
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Students at BC have a contagious energy of grit, ambition, and care and I strive to embody these qualities in my everyday work. Throughout my six years working with students, I have a newfound appreciation for the meaning of excellence. Students have taught me that excellence isn't about achieving, it's about believing in what you are doing, understanding the value of what you are doing, and being committed to showing up and investing in the work you are doing, despite the outcomes. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunities to learn and grow from the students I work with and I've seen changes in the way I show up in my interactions, personally and professionally. I lead with passion, positive energy, and a commitment to learning more about each person in front of me. Excellence, in my work, means guiding and supporting others through their journey of growth and being someone who will advocate for them to reach their fullest potential.
I strive to enhance student life at BC through fostering creativity and innovation. My role in Health Promotion is to help create a learning environment that enables students to thrive and achieve their full potential. With an openness and curiosity to figure out how to best meet the needs of our students, our department is constantly brainstorming and trialing creative ways to enhance the health and well-being of our community. One of my proudest accomplishments was executing our 9th annual Healthapalooza event, which brought together over 20 campus health partners, featured our newest Let's Talk Health: Mind, Body, Soul campaign, and engaged over 1000 students. This was a special moment because of the holistic, collective effort and the opportunity to all unify and commit to the importance of student well-being, while still recognizing each department's unique contributions on campus. I am excited by the potential of embedding health into all aspects of campus culture to best serve our students and community.
The most rewarding part of my role at BC is managing our Health Coach Institute with over 100 volunteer student Health Coaches. It's such a unique role to mentor such highly motivated students with a passion for health and serving their community. These students are trained to have health conversations with their peers and demonstrate an innate ability to empathize. Week after week I watch them actively listen, validate, and support fellow students on their health journeys. Some of these students are with us for three years, progress into leadership roles, graduate and find themselves in helping professions. I feel honored to spend my days teaching them the value of such basic interpersonal skills, while also observing their own growth and development. Getting emails and letters from past students about the impact this program had on them personally and professionally is why I wake up everyday with a smile and eagerness to go to work.
