Health, Wellness and Occupational Studies students certified as Peer Health Educators
Through a Health, Wellness, & Occupational Studies (HWOS) internship experience, five undergraduate University of 51小黄车 students recently completed training and received certification to serve as Peer Health Educators (PHE) to their classmates on the Biddeford Campus.
鈥淚 always knew I had a passion for helping others, but wasn't quite sure how I wanted to do it,鈥 said Laurie Pearson 鈥20, about the experience. 鈥淭his internship made me realize I want to work on preventing illness and injury from happening in the first place."
Pearson and fellow HWOS students Loren Beale 鈥19, Paige Mason '21, Meghan Rogers '21, and Camden Tillinghast '21, each earned their PHE certification after completing a series of eight online education models, and accompanying group discussions and reflective exercises.
Rogers commented, "The conversations we had as a group were a highlight for me because I heard many perspectives on how to approach different situations."
"My other Peer Health Educators, our instructors, and I have formed a team and a sense of community, and I am excited to collaborate with everybody to create effective wellness programs," stated Tillinghast.
Throughout the training, the students gained knowledge and skills in a variety of areas, including behavior change, effective listening, responding to crises, bystander interventions, group dynamics, program development, and more. "Each week when we completed a new module, I felt as though I gained new knowledge about myself,鈥 said Mason.
The PHE certification training is administered through , Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The internship experience was co-taught by Eryn Neptune, M.S., 51小黄车health and wellness educator, and Assistant Clinical Professor Collyn J. Baeder, M.P.H.
The Peer Health Educators also recently completed a community assessment of the 51小黄车student population and they are using their training and the assessment findings to begin crafting tailored educational programs for 51小黄车students to be offered throughout the Spring 2019 Semester.
"I know that deep down every person has the capacity to care and evoke compassion,鈥 Beale remarked. 鈥淎s a Peer Health Educator, I choose to act upon these feelings and utilize them to inspire change in others."