Her job will be to help students overcome issues they encounter when seeking help with their mental health. One of the biggest barriers to accessing mental health resources that Michaela has identified is a lack of knowledge about what’s available. And in many cases, when students know the programs exist, many don’t know how to access them.

“My goal is for students to be annoyed when they see reminders from me,” Michaela explains with a laugh. “I want it to be a revision every time they see a message. The more they know and it’s engrained, they more they will use the resources.”

But knowing is less than half the battle—students also need to feel supported and connected for help to really stick. And unfortunately, students’ mental health struggles are created and amplified by a sense of isolation, uncertainty, and disillusionment, Michaela explains.

“A lot of older students are saying that the economy isn’t what they were promised, and new students coming in are experiencing a huge shift with AI. They aren’t sure how any of this is playing into their education, and they generally have a sense of uncertainty. It can quickly become apathy which can lead to a whole host of other things.”
A way to combat those feelings, says Michaela, is by “fostering a community where people know they can rely on each other and find healthy ways to navigate those feelings of uncertainty.”

Michaela is excited to get involved as the Wellness Champion in the great community building initiatives already happening on campus. She says she has a lot of ideas for the role, and many of them involve community partnerships and working with student clubs and societies already doing the work of bringing people together.
“My hope is by involving clubs and working with the ASU, we will be able to build a consensus about what we’re seeing and hearing that the student population needs. Being able to involve community partnerships in that will be a huge thing.”

“When it’s one person, it’s one person. But when it’s multiple people and many voices it carries a lot stronger.”

She recalls that during her first year at Acadia she felt disconnected from community, having come to the Valley from Ottawa. But once she found the clubs and societies on campus, she finally felt like she was at home.

“When I go and see my family and they ask when I’m going back to school I always start my sentence with ‘I’m going home on.’ Acadia has a much more homey feeling than it did initially, which is a really great measure of success for me and my personal growth.”

Now, her mission is to spread that sense of community, success, and personal growth all across campus.