What is PantherWELL?
PantherWELL is a peer health education program housed in the Office of Health Education & Promotion. Peer Health Educators (PHEs) are a select group of Pitt undergraduate students who have an interest in promoting health & wellness to fellow students. The PHEs do this through group presentations, tabling events and other outreach projects, and serve as liaisons between peers and Student Health Service staff.
What do the PantherWELL Peer Health Educators do?
The main purpose of PHEs is to serve as honest, open, and credible resources for their fellow Pitt students. You will see the PHEs giving presentations on health topics in the residence halls, the William Pitt Union, the Towers Lobby, for student organizations, and sometimes for academic classes. You will also see PHEs around campus setting up tables and other outreach programs on health topics that are important to college students. The PHEs are trained to be referral agents for their peers, so if you have a health-related problem or question, they can help you find the answer!
Who are the PantherWELL Peer Health Educators?
This year’s PHEs represent a variety of Pitt majors and student organizations. Below is information about the 2008-2009 PantherWELL PHEs!
Shannon Barr
Shannon is a senior nursing student and hopes to later become a nurse anesthetist. She loves drive in movies, blue icees, being silly, girly movies and swimming. An interesting thing about Shannon is that she has been on the Jumbotron at a Pittsburgh Pirates game while reading a book and was booed for doing so. Shannon is really excited to continue as a PantherWELL peer health educator this year because it is a lot of fun meeting new people and getting involved with a neat program like this.
Mike Cimmino
Michael is a senior bio major at Pitt who plans to go to graduate school when he graduates. If he can find time between school and studying, he likes to go to the gym and hang out with friends. If Mike isn’t in Pittsburgh, he is probably at home in Lancaster County, Pa. Being originally from Florida, he feels that living in two different parts of the country has really taught him a lot about diversity in almost every aspect. Mike is extremely excited to be part of PantherWELL again this semester and is really looking forward to meeting new people as well as being able to become a positive role model for his peers.
Sydney Etheredge
Sydney is a senior majoring in sociology. Upon graduation she hopes to obtain her MPH and wants to work in the field on Health Policy. When she is not studying or working at the Victoria's Secret on Walnut Street (please feel free to come and visit) she is usually watching the Food Network trying to channel her inner Iron Chef. Sydney is very excited to become a PantherWELL peer health educator because she knows how important a healthy lifestyle can affect your health now but also in the future. She also wants to help her peers make the right decisions and have a fun and safe few years here at Pitt, because she knows she did!
Kourtney Heichel
Kourtney is a junior Communication Science and Disorders major and plans pursue Pittsburgh’s Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy. She enjoys sports, shopping, traveling, working out, and laughing. She is originally from Lancaster, PA, but her favorite place in the world is on the beach in Ocean City, NJ. She is extremely excited to get involved with PantherWELL in order to meet new people while giving Pitt students better awareness of health issues so that we can all have the best quality of life!
Kate Henschel
Kate is a senior microbiology and French major who enjoys traveling the world, writing, reading, spending time with her friends, and hiking. She recently spent her summer in rural Nepal, where she learned about public and community health, climbed mountains, and ate some strange foods. She plans to attend a graduate school of public health to study epidemiology and would love to one day work in a related field in a developing country. Kate is excited to start working as a PantherWELL peer health educator because she loves learning about health and sharing her knowledge to help others lead healthier, happier lives.
Megan Loughran
Megan is a senior business major. In the future she hopes to be pursuing a career in the medical field or working on Wall Street. Outside of school she enjoys running, shopping, going to concerts and watching Steeler games. Megan is very excited to continue as a PantherWELL peer health educator because it is a great way to meet people and connect with other Pitt students. Also it will help to make Pitt a safer and healthier campus.
Courtney Martin
Courtney is a junior Psychology major from Harrisburg, PA. In the future she hopes to go to graduate school for Public Health. An interesting fact about her is that she was crowned Ms. Black University of Pittsburgh for 2008 by the Black Action Society. Courtney loves the arts, both visual and performing, and has even been an assistant dance teacher for toddler ballet classes. She is looking forward to being a PantherWELL peer health educator this year because encouraging others to make healthy lifestyle choices is its own reward.
Kylie Morris
Kylie is a junior majoring in biology and classics. Her favorite sport to watch and play is soccer and favorite TV shows are Family Guy and Grey's Anatomy. Over the summer, Kylie worked in Dr. Jacobson's lab doing research, here at Pitt. She also participates in Strong Women Strong Girls during the year, mentoring fourth and fifth graders. Kylie is excited to continue as a PantherWELL peer health educator because it's probably the best job on campus.
KayLoni Olson
KayLoni is a junior psychology student. She hopes to attend graduate school and eventually pursue a career in clinical psychology. She loves to play field hockey and also spend time with friends and family. KayLoni is a major Peter Pan enthusiast and loves to be in the sun. She feels as though the city of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh have already provided many opportunities to grow in new directions and she looks forward to this year as a PantherWELL Peer Health Educator to learn more about herself and the people around her.
Emily Yarrison
Emily Yarrison is a senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Public service. She has been a PantherWELL peer health educator since last year and is excited for the second year of the program. She is also the training director at 92.1 WPTS fm, Pitt's radio station. One day she hopes to have a career as...well she just hopes she doesn't live in her parents' basement. She is confident that PantherWELL will become well known on campus by the end of this coming year and is sad she won't get to see it grow after that.
Aaron Weir
Aaron is a senior majoring in Health and Physical Activity with a concentration in Exercise Science. He is a member of the Exercise Science Organization and is currently work part-time as a Lab Assistant for The Institute for Transfusion Medicine. During summer 2008, Aaron worked with Pitt's Health and Physical Activity department as a motor development instructor for KinderKinetics, while in the past he worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor. Aaron plans to pursue graduate school in public health and enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, and just about everything that is actively outdoors (especially skiing). His hero is BOB MARLEY because of his unbelievable ability to perceive reality for what it's worth and to inspire those around him (did you know his song "One Love" ended a civil war in his home land?). Aaron is excited to get involved in health education via PantherWELL.
Resources for Groups Requesting a PantherWELL Program
Programs presented by the PantherWELL peer health educators are informative, yet fun and interactive. These programs are designed to focus on health topics that affect college students in their academic and social lives. The information presented in the programs is factual and honest and presented by students who know what it means to be a college student in the 21st century!
The majority of the programs listed below are appropriate for residence halls and student groups or organizations. Some programs are more appropriate for academic settings, such as in a classroom. Please make sure to read the descriptions fully before deciding which program suits your needs best. If you have any questions about a program, feel free to call the Office of Health Education & Promotion at 412-383-1830.
Program Descriptions
Alcohol Programming
- The Delicate Balance: Work vs. Play: Most students want to maintain a healthy balance between school commitments and their social life, but what does that balance look like? This program is designed to help you identify your optimal balance and help you develop healthy habits related to time management, alcohol use, and stress reduction that you can carry with you throughout your college career.
- Party Protection: This fun, game-based, interactive program helps participants understand how to lower their risk for experiencing negative consequences related to over-consumption of alcohol. There is no preaching, finger-wagging, or “alcohol is evil” messages…just practical advice and information to help you stay safer if you choose to drink.
Stress Programming
- The Comfort Zone: Most college students are stressed, but they don’t have time in their busy schedules to find out how to relax! This interactive program is ideal for busy college students who want to find quick, easy ways to de-stress in a very informal and relaxing environment. Students will learn how to make stress balls, how to do progressive muscle relaxation, imagery, and deep breathing.
Sexual Health Programming
- Sex in the Lounge: There are MANY questions that college students have about how to protect themselves from STDs and pregnancy, but are afraid to ask. This interactive program covers STD prevention, condom use, and emergency contraception. Students can participate in games and win prizes while getting the sexual health information they need.
- Healthy Relationships: This interactive program examines the meaning of a “healthy relationship” and how to build, maintain, and end them. This program involves a lot of discussion and group exercises, so that it can be tailored to the students who attend.
- Sexual Decision-Making: This program is best suited for the classroom, but it can be tailored to other groups as well. During this program, students will be asked to evaluate the decisions that they make regarding sex and sexual health. A discussion of these decisions and a question-and-answer period will help students decide what choices are best for them.
Nutrition Programming
- Currently, all nutrition programming is conducted by the Student Health Service Dietitian. However, we are in the process of developing a PantherWELL nutrition program and hope to have it on the website soon!
Other Programming
- The programs listed above are only a small portion of the programs offered by the Office of Health Education & Promotion. Other programs are conducted by our staff and graduate assistants that might also fit the needs of your students. For a list of Health Education & Promotion programs, visit the Programs page.
How to Request a Program
All programs conducted by the PantherWELL Peer Health Educators must be requested using a Program Request Form. Please note that this form must be submitted at least two weeks before the desired program date.
How can I become a Peer Health Educator?
Becoming a Peer Health Educator is a tremendous educational and leadership experience. Recruitment for year-long appointments takes place about mid-way through the Spring semester each year. Look for ads in the Pitt News and check back on this website in early March for more information about the application process!