Wellness Center welcomes new Health Educator
By Jessica Alway
New campus Health Educator, Dr. Jeanne M. Zeamba, is off to a running start with her novice program, Peer Health Educators.
Since beginning her job on Sept. 1, Zeamba has already held meetings and contacted students interested in volunteering for the program she hopes will soon be recognized by the entire Santa Clara community.
"Peers influencing peers has been found to have a greater impact on decision making," said Zeamba. "These types of programs can make a huge difference."
While the concept is new to Santa Clara, peer health educators are active on campuses across the nation. The popularity should work in Santa Clara's favor, according to Zeamba, by helping to provide ideas for organization and events.
For now the program has been divided into the three categories the university deemed most important: alcohol and drug awareness and education, eating disorders and body image concerns and sexual violence education.
The sexual violence section will be run almost entirely by Rape Education Prevention and Education Program (REPP), a recognized student organization on campus for over 10 years. They will continue to work to raise awareness about sexual assault and rape by facilitating discussions, panels, and workshops, as well as sponsoring events such as their annual "Take Back the Night." The two other components of the program will be starting virtually from scratch.
The alcohol and drug awareness educators will eventually work to promote responsible drinking and help students learn about the many effects of substance use and abuse. They will learn how to identify alcohol and other drug problems, the effects of binge drinking and healthy decision-making, according to Zeamba.
Eating disorder and body image concerns educators will work to educate the community psychosocial and cultural elements of body image and eating disorders. They will learn about the risks, symptoms and harmful effects eating disorders can have. They will also work to promote positive, healthy body image, according to Zeamba.
Both groups will put on various events throughout the year to accomplish these goals as well as increase awareness of their programs. Any student can be a peer health educator, he or she simply has to be willing to donate the time.
Zeamba is excited at the show of enthusiasm for the program already. Over 30 people attended an information meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3 and those who chose to be a part of the program will begin training as soon as this Saturday.
Zeamba has reorganized the Wellness Center, located in Pat Malley Fitness Center, after the departure of Lorie Lang, the former director of the Wellness Center. While many of the goals of the Wellness Center, such as education and increased awareness of health issues are still central to Zeamba's mission statement, her intended audience will shift.
"My predecessor had a strong relationship with the staff and faculty," she said. "My job is going to involve more in-depth work with students and possibly others in the Santa Clara community."
She added that middle schools and high schools in the surrounding areas have already approached her with hopes of gaining access to the program. She also hopes to create other health topics in which to educate volunteers and then the community, such as stress or specific illnesses.