Health and Wellness Promotion

As someone who has been involved in peer education for several years, I have never found a program quite like BTW: Bridge To Wellness. I am thrilled to be a coordinator in a space that is intentional and excited about connecting students to our University's resources and filling the gaps we find along the way! Outside of my BTW position, I am a second-year TYP-Scholar from Central MA majoring in Education Studies! In my leisure time, I like to listen to music, write poetry, and go shopping.

Working with BTW has been one of the most rewarding experiences. Whether on campus or virtually, I focus on helping the community make wellness a part of their everyday lives through creative social media campaigns and by introducing the vast network of resources Brandeis offers. Aside from being a BTW Peer Education Coordinator, I am the President of the Brandeis Mountain Club and spend my weekends in the mountains, skiing, climbing, hiking, camping, and more. I am from Danville, California and spend my summers in Yosemite National Park working as a Wilderness First Responder. This past Spring I studied tropical island biodiversity studies on a small island off the coast of Panama. I love coral!! I am very excited to be working with BTW again this year and look forward to developing alternative ways to connect with the Brandeis community.

I am thrilled to be a part of a group that brings passion from multiple areas in order to bring health and wellness on campus. To me, promoting all these layers of wellness are extremely important to acknowledging, valuing, and ensuring space for all identities. Aside from being a part of this lovely community, I am a third year TYP scholar tutoring for a TYP writing course this year. On campus you will most likely find me either on shift or hangout out at the Intercultural Center.

Viv Santana-Perez is a Posse Scholar from Atlanta, Georgia. She is pursuing a double major in Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and Sociology. Viv is passionate about art, activism, and education. Recognizing the importance of being healthy and learning ways to achieve that goal is the reason why Viv is very excited to work with BTW as a peer educator. Her goal is to help others grow and feel empowered to prioritize themselves. Aside from being a part of the BTW team, Viv is currently serving as the Co-President of the Brandeis LatinX Student Organization.

Hey! I’m Nathalie “Nat” Vieux-Gresham and I am a sophomore STEM Posse scholar majoring in neuroscience and minoring in computer science and psychology. I am excited to be a part of the BTW team because I can impact the community in a way that can affect their day to day life. While we educate our communities on health and wellness, I look forward to how my experience with BTW can help me explore the different ways I can improve upon my own health and wellness. Outside of BTW, I am a campus ambassador for Brandeis’s The Women’s Network (TWN) Chapter.

When I heard about Bridge to Wellness, I believed it would be an integral part of health and wellness in the Brandeis community. I strongly believe in integrative methods to tackle all types of health issues as expressed in BTW’s philosophy, and I knew I had to be a part of it! I am so excited to take on my role as a coordinator this year and hope I can help Brandeis make the most out of an unconventional year. Outside of BTW, I am a captain on the Brandeis Women’s Soccer team, and, if I have free time, I enjoy Mountain Club activities, hammocking, and line dancing.

It is the most pleasant thing to join BTW and become one of the peer educators. Health and wellness has drawn more and more attention to Brandeis and beyond, and this is also why I would love to be a listener to the community and offer as much help as I can. While challenging oneself to be tougher in face of difficulties, one shall always listen to the sound from deep down one’s heart. I hope we share the goal of longing for a happy and fulfilling experience not only on campus, but also in life.