Meet Your 2019–2020 Student Wellness Center Staff!
Welcome to our blog! We are a group of students who are passionate about improving the well-being of the Marquette community through health and wellness programming! Our staff is composed of 14 Wellness Peer Educators, 3 Graduate Assistants, and 3 Professional Staff members. Come say hi to us in the Student Wellness Center, located in the 707 Building Suite 130!
Seniors
Kiana Jones
Major: Biomedical Science
Future plans: Medical School
Why are you a WPE?: I want to make a positive mark on campus by providing people with the opportunity to lead healthier lives.
Favorite wellness topic: I enjoy topics about being active through trying out new things like hiking, spinning, and rock climbing.
Hobbies: I like playing and watching sports with my friends and siblings, bike riding, and crafting.
Fun fact: When I was in Eighth Grade, my basketball team had the chance to play on the Chicago Bulls basketball court and get autographs from some of the team.
Monica Patel
Major: Exercise Physiology
Future plans: MU Doctorate program for physical therapy
Why are you a WPE?: I think wellness is area that gets put on the back burner in our lives when we have a lot on our plates. I want wellness to be a priority for everyone, not just something when “we have time for it.”
Favorite wellness topic: Mental health and nutrition
Hobbies: Working out, cooking, and hiking
Fun fact: I have a fear of clustered circles — trypophobia
Maggie Coleman
Major: Nursing
Why are you a WPE?: I am a WPE because I am passionate about health and wellness!
Favorite wellness topic: Stress relief
Hobbies: Playing volleyball, hanging out with friends, and being outdoors.
Fun fact: A fun fact about me is that I have swam with wild stingrays in the Cayman Islands.
Jasmine Lahori
Major/Future Plans: I’m currently a Gender and Sexuality Studies major with minors in Sociology and Social Welfare and Justice. After graduating in May, I’m hoping to join a Masters in Social Work Program at home in Chicago.
Why are you a WPE?: I’m a Wellness Peer Educator because I’m super passionate about my Marquette community. As a member of the Sexual Violence Prevention Education team, we are able to facilitate gender transformative programming, educate peers on Title IX and create safe spaces to dispel victim blaming myths and sexist attitudes that are rampant in our culture.
Favorite wellness topic: My favorite wellness topic is Environmental! This is respect for nature and all beings that reside on Earth.
Hobbies: My hobbies include playing Sims 4, spending time in nature and exploring Milwaukee.
Rayne Trangsrud
Major: Psychology and Spanish
Future plans: Graduate school
Why are you a WPE?: I want to raise awareness about sexual assault and educate students about it. I want to reduce sexual violence rates on our campus.
Favorite wellness topic: Sexual Violence Prevention
Hobbies: Flying!
Fun fact: I transferred here from Montana State my Sophomore Year, but I am from central WI!
Laura Sienkiewicz
Major: Double-majoring in Biomedical Sciences and Spanish for the Health Professions
Why are you a WPE?: I wanted to be a WPE because I’ve always been super passionate about health and wellness so I wanted to share my passions with the Marquette community and encourage other students to make healthy, balanced lifestyle choices.
Favorite wellness topic: My favorite wellness topics are nutrition, fitness, and mental health
Hobbies: My hobbies include yoga, traveling, and shopping at Trader Joes.
Fun fact: I am fluent in Polish!
Aamna Javed
Major/post undergrad plans: I am majoring in environmental studies, minoring in psychology and *hopefully* plan on attending physical therapy school post undergrad.
Why you are a WPE: I’m a WPE because as a college student, our health in every form (mental, emotional, spiritual, physical) is always on the back-burner and as a WPE we encourage students and ourselves to not let it burn.
Favorite wellness topic: Nutrition
Hobbies: Hiking, rock climbing, writing, cooking
Fun fact: Fluent in almost 4 languages
Koryn St. Clair
Major/post undergraduate plans: I am majoring in Educational Studies and Psychology. After graduation, I plan on pursuing a PhD in School Psychology.
Why are you a WPE?: I feel like wellness is essential to everyday life, and I love being able to educate the Marquette community on how to live a life of wellness. I also enjoy the positivity that is within the Wellness Center.
Favorite wellness topic: Mindfulness
Hobbies: I enjoy going to the movies, hanging out with my friends & family, and eating
Fun fact: Salted Caramel is my favorite flavor of almost all sweet things!
Juniors
Veronica Maniak
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Why are you a WPE?: I wanted to meet more of the Marquette community and make a difference in how the student body looks at holistic well-being.
Favorite wellness topic: Sleep and nutrition
Hobbies: I love reading, skiing, and videography!
Fun fact: I have seen OneRepublic in concert 6 times!! (Can you tell they’re my favorite band?)
Sofia Driscoll
Majors: Theology & Psychology
Post-undergraduate plans: While I’m not entirely sure what I want to do when I graduate, I’m considering high school counseling, career counseling, and/or working in a faith-based context.
Why are you a WPE?: I’m a WPE because I’m passionate about all aspects of health — physical, mental, and spiritual — and I want to help my peers feel comfortable living healthy lifestyles.
Favorite wellness topic: Spiritual health and alcohol & drug prevention
Hobbies: Singing, baking, and knitting
Fun fact: I know how to play 5 instruments if you count my voice
Gabi Vettorello
Major/post undergrad plans: Biomedical Sciences; Pre-PA
Why you are a WPE?: I am a WPE because I believe that all things surrounding wellness, whether it be physical, mental, or spiritual, is important to living one’s best life. I want to help people reach their goals in wellness because I also realize that wellness is not the most simple topic.
Favorite wellness topic: Nutrition
Hobbies: Hiking and running
Tigran Ovsepyan
Major: I am a double major in Criminology and Environmental Studies
Why are you a WPE?: I am a WPE because I love the positive environment of the wellness center and I want to spread the positivity to the rest of the campus
Favorite wellness topic: Nutrition
Hobbies: Running, boxing, writing, and watching movies
Fun fact: I’m bilingual - I speak Russian and English
Sophomores
Becca Stauffer
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Why are you a WPE?: I believe that wellness is such an important aspect of our lives whether physically, mentally, or financially and can be forgotten during college when our lives are crazy. I want to help people remember that their wellness is a priority.
Favorite wellness topic: Sexual violence prevention
Hobbies: Running, reading, exploring, and hanging with friends
Fun Fact: I have three extra bones in my feet
Shujan Marali
Post undergraduate plans: I want to work at Spotify.
Why are you a WPE?: I want to help people be safe on and off campus
Favorite wellness topic: Alcohol and other drugs
Hobbies: Making music and skateboarding
Fun fact: I have been playing guitar for 6 years
Graduate Assistants
Kanoe Montaño
Position/Title: 2nd Year Graduate Student in the Educational Policy and Leadership program!
Post-graduation plans: I hope to be a Sexual Violence Victim’s Advocate or work in Identity Inclusion at a College or University.
Why do you work as a Graduate Assistant?: I love supervising WPE’s because they are some of the most wholesome people you will get to work with. They genuinely care about doing what they can to positively contribute to a better community.
Favorite wellness topic: Violence prevention, identity affirmation, and empowerment!
Hobbies: Painting and drawing (@artbykanoe)
Fun fact: There is a person in Ohio who received a wig made with some of my hair
Andrew Workman
Position/Title: I am a first year Graduate Student getting my masters in Educational Policy Students Affairs/Higher Education
Favorite wellness topic: Mindfulness, especially when it comes to building habits and having a growth mindset.
Hobbies: Video games, board games, ultimate frisbee, and traveling. I went to Japan this summer and would love to talk to anyone about it.
Fun fact: I am a triplet.
Tara Cunningham
Position/Title: First Year Graduate Student in the Student Affairs in Higher Education Program
Why do you work as a Graduate Assistant?: I work as a GA in this office because I want to learn more about wellness on a college campus and also because everyone who works here is awesome
Favorite wellness topic: Meditation
Hobbies: Baking, playing/watching tennis, and binge listening to podcasts
Fun fact: I did a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest! Ask me about it!
Professional Staff
Sara Smith
Position/Title: Alcohol and Drug Prevention Director
Why do you work as a Pro-Staff member?: I am passionate about working with college students on developing their personal well-being and community well-being!
Favorite wellness topic: Alcohol and other drugs
Hobbies: Hiking, swimming, cooking, baking, gardening, and traveling
Fun fact: I got ordained online and officiated a friend’s wedding!
Kacie Otto
Position/Title: Violence Prevention Specialist and Victim Advocate
Why do you work as a Pro-Staff member?: I loved college and I realized I wanted to work in the college environment forever. I landed in the prevention field because of my passion for helping people and keeping them safer.
Favorite wellness topic: It’s a tie between teaching people about the problems of diet culture and violence prevention.
Hobbies: Knitting, reading, crocheting, camping, watching all of the bachelor related shows and British costume dramas available
Fun Fact: I lived in Stockholm for a year as a nanny.
Katy Adler
Position/Title: Coordinator, Advocacy Services and Sexual Violence Prevention
Why do you work as a Pro-Staff member?: I love getting to work with students at Marquette and working with them to make our campus and community safer.
Favorite wellness topic: Prevention education
Hobbies: Reading, spending time with my family & friends, hiking and exploring Milwaukee/Wisconsin
Fun fact: I’m a part time law student.
Follow us on Social Media!
Facebook: @marquetteswc
Twitter: @MUWellnessPeers
Instagram: @MU_WellnessPeers
Medium: @MU_WellnessPeers
Email: wellnesspeereducators@marquette.edu
