<ent Wellness Advisors (SWAs) have long been serving Carleton’s health needs. Each freshman dorm has two SWAs, trained in topics including, but not limited to: sexual health and relationships, alcohol and other drugs, sleep and relaxation, mental health and stress, etc.
This year, however, with the departure of Cathy Carlson from Director of The Wellness Center to full time class dean, the SWAs have decided to put into words their mission and what they mean by “wellness”.
The SWAs new mission statement reads, “Student Wellness Advisors seek to empower students to make healthy decisions and lead balanced lives by providing programs and information that foster wellness.” As most upperclassmen know, SWAs host a variety of programs from SWaffice hours once a week, to SWulletin boards, to bringing speakers to campus. They are also famous for providing SWA stalls with plenty of reading material and anonymous Ask a SWA questions, as well as appearing at study breaks. They also act as liaisons to Wellness Center staff, which include two nurse practitioners and three psychologists.
The SWAs have also outlined seven points which encompass the “wellness” they seek to promote. “An individual striving for holistic, personal wellness would seek to: broaden and enhance his/her social activities, maintain optimal physical and mental health, understand his/her own emotional resilience and experiences through personal reflection, utilize his/her strengths and talents in a career or occupation, expand and refine his/her intellect through creativity and curiosity, recognize the interdependency of his/her surrounding environments and communities, engage in a spiritual connection.”
As a part of the Wellness Center team, SWAs will be moving forward with their new mission statement and seven wellness aspects in mind.
