Kate Bellody
Research and Education Librarian
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? To be part of efforts to help our campus community thrive personally, and in turn, academically.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Schedule "me" time! If you are having trouble carving out time for your hobbies, quiet time, etc. add it to your calendar and prioritize it just like you would a job or class.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Movement! Anything from a quick walk, dancing, to a desk stretch...daily movement is essential for my well-being.
Corinna Caracci
Director of Residence Life
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? It is an amazing way to help spread wellness throughout campus.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Take some deep breaths throughout the day. Stop and breathe from your diaphragm. Take a walk in the fresh air.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Take a walk or a bike ride.
Jackie Cirello
Coordinator of Wellbeing Initiatives and Outreach, Student Affairs
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? I love being involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness to bring awareness to and promote programs that encourage overall wellness.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Practice self-care on a daily basis and get outside and connect with nature.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Disconnect from technology and connect with nature and the community as much as possible.
Robin Cohen-La Valle, '77, '82g
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? I like to be part of something where the college creates opportunities to be more balanced.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Remember to stop and breathe as often as possible. Schedule time for yourself; you are as important as everything else in your schedule.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Walking with other people and listening to soothing new age music.
Emi DiSciullo
Disability Resource Center Learning Specialist
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? A focus on wellness benefits our entire campus community. It is much more difficult to achieve our goals without holistic wellness. I love supporting students in developing simple yet effective ways to integrate self-care into their routine.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Wellness looks different to each of us. Find what makes you feel good and make it a practice.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Spending time in nature and finding ways to be creative.
Glenn Geher
Professor of Psychology
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? Because I strongly believe in the cause - it connects the welfare of students with my interests in health and fitness quite well.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Make time for fitness each and every week, and listen to your emotions and the emotions of others around you.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Long-distance running.
Kevin Makarewicz
Assistant Wellness & Recreation Director/Aquatics Director
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? To help inspire people to be lifelong movers in their own way!
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Two quotes that I enjoy to help get people moving are "Day one or one day" and "Weights feel heavy some days so they can feel lighter on others. The only bad workout is the one you didn't do."
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? My favorite way to maintain my own well-being is through weight lifting and strength training.
Dawn McCaw
Senior Career Specialist, Career Resource Center
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? To promote wellness and how the CRC can help students.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Start small and get involved.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Walking in nature.
Lisa Phillips
Associate Professor and Chair, Digital Media and Journalism
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? I write about relationships and mental health and am doing workshops on healthy romantic relationships, stemming from an Honors seminar.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Value intimacy. Know that intimacy entails risk.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? I can't pick a favorite. Daily exercise, making time to connect with loved ones, and giving myself the gift of FOCUS are my top strategies.
.jpg)
Moshe Plotkin
Director of Jewish Studies, Rabbi at the Jewish Student Center, Adjunct in Computer Science
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I want to help every student make that wellness part of their lives. Spiritual health is a central component of holistic human health.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Student clubs are a great way to form and maintain a strong support group. Feeling stressed is not a reason to hold back from wholesome social activities....Those activities and the suppport that you get from those friends will actually help reduce your stress.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Praying every day; disconnecting from social media and electronic stimulus for an entire day every week.
Jessica Purcell
EOP Advisor and Psychology Department Adjunct Faculty
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? I am passionate about the health and well-being of our campus community members.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Well-being tips that work for me are breathing and moving. The mind and body restore themselves in rest. Getting oxygen through deep breathing, mindful meditation breaths, or laughing (as well as any kind of movement) helps release tension and regain balance.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Once I've worked on breath and movement I spend time with family, listen to music, garden, cook, or just read.
Valerie Turco, '05, '10g
Director, Center for Student Media
tremblay@newpaltz.edu
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? Wellness can take many shapes/forms, and especially these days, it is important to take care of yourself and your mind. Holistic Hawks is an opportunity to provide resources and share wellness ideas.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? 1. Take a few minutes each day to decompress. No electronics, no music, no TV, just a few quiet minutes to collect your thoughts. 2. Do something that makes you happy and do it regularly, whether it's a get-together with friends or a gym class.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? Listen to music and spend some time organizing my thoughts and my to-do lists. If things are organized I fell like my well-being is in order.
Angela Van Pelt
Residence Hall Director of Scudder Hall
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? I strongly believe that students are more successful when they are able to take care of their bodies and minds. As a former student athlete, I have first-hand experience of the important role that wellness plays in creating a positive college experience.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? My two tips are to take a mid-day nap (it can help with stressful days) and to spend intentional time outside prioritizing fresh air.
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? I love to use the AWC facilities to stay strong and active.
Karla Vermeulen
Associate Professor of Psychology and Deputy Director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health
Why are you involved with Holistic Hawks/Wellness? As a mental health professional, I have tremendous appreciation for the stressors our students face and the importance of taking care of ourselves.
What are 1-2 tips you have for well-being? Treat self-care as a part of your routine of essential activities, not as a luxury or afterthought. It doesn't really matter what you do to take care of yourself, as long as you actually do it!
What is your favorite way to maintain your own well-being? I am an introvert in a job that requires a lot of extraversion, so I like solitary activities that let me recharge my batteries, like reading, baking, and gardening.
