Millie Goins, assistant director of student wellness and programs, passed out purple stress balls and taught students the 10 dimensions of wellness — key aspects of life that can optimize happiness.
Goins educated Beta Alpha Psi and Accounting Club on the 10 dimensions of wellness Feb. 1 in the College of Business.
“Your emotional wellness and your mental wellness can all be supported by your physical dimension of wellness,” she said.
Ashley Phillips, associate professor of accounting, said, “As faculty advisers for UCA’s [Beta Alpha Psi] chapter, we see how busy and often stressed students have been recently. “Therefore, we thought having a presentation on wellness and the resources that UCA offers could be beneficial for our students.”
Goins outlined several pertinent campus resources that hone student wellness.
The Student Health Center, at the corner of Student Lane and Beatrice Powell Street, provides drug and tobacco prevention and intervention, checkups and immunizations, and STI, COVID and flu testing.
Goins said, “So if you need to utilize that resource, please do it to support your physical wellness.”
Career Services at Bernard Hall provides career fairs, assessments and career coaches; students can access its services beyond their time at UCA.
“They also provide a wide closet for you to come and get prepared for your interview. They can help you with your interview skills and your resume, as well,” she said.
The Counseling Center on the third floor of the Student Health Center offers 10 free therapy sessions, medication management and outside referrals.
Goins asked, “Who can say that they are generally great at stuffing their feelings?” and every student raised their hand.
“Sometimes, we have some internalizing of our feelings. Sometimes, we don’t even know all of the emotions or the feelings to attach to those,” she said.
Goins said she is a mental health first-aider and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) trained for suicide first aid.
“There are several of us on campus that are [ASIST trained], and we do want to train some students in that, so if that’s something that you are interested in, please follow up with me,” she said.
Caddie Bailey, a sophomore double majoring in accounting and religious studies, said, “I really liked learning that there are people who are trained in suicide first aid … if I happen to run into it, there’s something I can possibly do to help prevent it.”
The Counseling Center will partner again with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on April 13 for a campus walk at Hendrix.
The Student Support and Resource Center on the third floor of the Student Health Center is a financial wellness opportunity for students with unexpected financial difficulties.
Students can apply for scholarships, aid programs, emergency textbook grants and DASH Emergency Grants through the Student Affairs webpage or this office.
“To manage your money, to achieve realistic goals and to feed wellness, it involves managing your finances, spending within your means, being prepared for emergencies and then having the tools available to you during economic circumstances,” Goins said.
Madison Speight, a sophomore majoring in accounting and minoring in pre-law, said her favorite part of the presentation was the 10 dimensions of wellness, specifically social.
She said, “I didn’t know that the Counseling Center was on the third floor of the Student Health Center.”
Carson Griffin, a senior accounting major, said the meeting benefited those unaware of the counseling center, “especially if you’re a student that pays for therapy somewhere else.”
“Getting at least some sessions here at UCA is very helpful,” he said.
Goins said, “I am happy to and welcome opportunities to get in front of our students to share information on wellness-related topics and connect them with the campus resources that are here to support their overall well-being and thriving while at UCA and beyond.”
