By Leelannee Malin
What started in the Fall 2022 semester as a weekly check-in amongst the Howard University Chapel Assistants, has expanded to checkups for all student leaders of Chapel-led organizations.
The wellness check-in is a tool to help peers support each other and is designed to support the development of student leaders through prioritizing and practicing wellness and self-care. Week to week, participants will communicate their challenges and successes as a student and in their role as a campus leader.
Natoy Fowler-Rowe, a second-year MSW/MDiv student, designed this wellness check-in tool. Fowler-Rowe is the graduate assistant to Bernard L. Richardson, PhD, dean of the Chapel.
Items on the tool include questions about student’s mood, how students are navigating their role as the University’s student leaders and what support they may need on campus.
“Howard University has long served as a training ground of faith, service and justice leaders, so it is essential that we are also including the importance of self-care in the training of the next generation of advocates.” said Richardson. “We are a safe space that welcomes students to come when they’re in need of support in dealing with overwhelming circumstances. By taking a proactive approach we can refer students to partners across campus when additional support is needed.”
Peer-to-peer interactions have proven to serve as an avenue of confirmation and visibility for students, demonstrating that they aren’t alone or isolated in their experiences.
“We are all experiencing similar stressors and the check-ins allow for us to see that it’s not just me, we’re all in the same boat” said Monica Moore, president of the Chapel Assistants, a campus student organization.
Wellness initiatives coordinated through the Office of the Dean of the Chapel are designed to support our students’ spiritual, mental, and emotional wellness journey while matriculating at Howard University. The wellness check-ins this semester will include both one-on-one and group sessions.
