Southern Utah University has recently hired an SUU alumna as the new coordinator at the Health and Wellness Center.
Jessie Mineer graduated from SUU last fall with her bachelor’s degree in Family Life and Human Development.
“It was around mid-semester last fall I was like, ‘I really love SUU,’” Mineer said. “I was sad to have to leave and so I was really hoping I could find a job on campus.”
A year and a half ago, Mineer was given a task for a homework assignment to interview someone who was in a profession of her interest. Mineer interviewed Riley Reynolds, the previous health and wellness coordinator.
“It was actually pretty funny, I had interviewed Riley, and right when I was graduating her job position came open. I’d never been more excited about a job opportunity before,” Mineer said.
Reynolds spent her last day in the center on Jan. 15. Before she and her husband moved to Richfield, Utah, for her husband’s new job position ,Mineer came in to observe and find out more of what the job title entails.
Mineer explained that her main responsibility is to help students get connected with resources that they need, whether that’s helping them connect to health resources in the community or on campus.
“We focus on healthy minds, healthy bodies, healthy relationships, so it can be anything from helping a student find housing and insurance to helping them in a moment of crisis to help them get connected with CAPS to get those needs met,” Mineer said.
Mineer will oversee the Mental Health Support Peers with SUU mental health counselor Andrea Donovan, a team organized to offer additional support to SUU students.
The new coordinator also plans to spread the word about the Health and Wellness Center by programming and event planning throughout the semester.
“I think the wellness center is really small right now but has a lot of potential,” Mineer said. “Especially right now during COVID-19, SUU needs more help with mental health and I think that’s something we could really help with.”
While Mineer adjusts to the new job position, she has big ideas planned for the future.
“We are hoping to plan an event in March with different instructors doing Zumba or high fitness and have speakers in between so students can pop in and join and talk about nutrition and eating disorders and other educational topics,” Mineer said.
As well as offering support to students as the new coordinator, Mineer believes she will be a good addition to the health and wellness team because she was just an SUU student.
“I just graduated, so I can connect with the students,” Mineer said. “I understand where they’ve been and where they are, because I was just there.”
For more information on the Health and Wellness Center, visit their site or email jessiemineer@suu.edu.
Story by: Elizabeth Armstrong
news@suunews.net
Photo courtesy of suu.edu/health
