Maintaining your health and well-being is essential throughout every stage of life, especially throughout your academic career. That’s why Health Initiatives created the well-being activator program, where both students and employees can serve as ambassadors and role models of well-being. You can find well-being activators among numerous groups, organizations, and departments on campus. They serve as role models within their respective groups or departments, inspiring others to flourish and thrive. We spoke with Tanya Sharma, 3rd -year computer science major, at Alpha Kappa Psi, to learn more about her role as a well-being activator.

Q: Why did you want to become a well-being activator?

A: In my sophomore year, I took on a directorship in my organization that required communication with the different members, specifically emotionally intelligent conversations. Through reaching out to different people, I found that a lot of members suffered from depression, anxiety, and general isolation. They felt that there was no one they could rely on, even if they were surrounded by an organization with 80+ people. Even though I started focusing a lot more on mental health and destigmatizing it, I knew I couldn’t do it by myself, especially since I wasn’t an expert on it. So I became a Well-Being Activator to educate myself on mental health and how to have these conversations, as well as to slowly create a culture of openness and positive headspace.

Q: What does being a Well-Being Activator entail?

A: As of right now, we take a lot of the resources that we receive from Jocelyn and the Well-Being Activator team and spread it into our organization channels. We also try to continue building self-awareness about mental health and being able to have these honest conversations with the people around me.

Q: Who would you recommend this opportunity to?

A: I would recommend this opportunity to anyone who is interested about improving mental health among their peers. Having the role of a Well-Being Activator entails spreading awareness about mental health and creating a supportive environment for the Georgia Tech community. Therefore, becoming a Well-Being Activator allows you to have an important role on campus where you can teach others about the importance of maintaining a healthy life.  Also, becoming a Well-Being Activator is a great opportunity to join a community filled with people who strive to maintain not only their mental health but also the mental health of others.

Q: How has being a Well-Being Activator impacted your college experience?

A: It’s given me a sense of hope about helping others. Prior to this experience, I always knew that I liked listening to people and impacting their lives for the better, but I never really knew how to do it on a broader scale. Being a Well-Being Activator has really aided in my growth and has further developed my people-helping skills, as well as opened the door for other possibilities on campus to improve lives and continue the conversation of mental health.

Q: What is your favorite part of being a Well-Being Activator?

A: I like how passionate the other activators are about mental health. Every time I go to a meeting, I can see that they really do care about the health and wellness of their peers. At our age, it’s really easy to not get excited for group meetings and/or skill-building activities because it can feel cheesy and not worth it, but each and every member actively participates in these activities and conversations at every meeting. They genuinely want to make a difference.

Well-being Activators take-on an important role throughout the Georgia Tech community, and Health Initiatives is always looking for more Georgia Tech employees and students who want to improve the well-being of others. If you are interested in learning more about this program go to healthinitiatives.gatech.edu/well-being-activators to learn more and start making a difference on campus!