Wishes for Wellness Granted
Dr. Kira Beal, San Jacinto College South Campus health sciences department chair, is on a mission to promote better health and wellness through the Health and Wellness Fair 2024.
Funded by the San Jacinto College Foundation Student Success Initiative program, the fair will help students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community gain resources to assist with physical and mental health while attending college and working. Additionally, it is an opportunity for businesses in the community to connect with the College to promote their health and wellness-related services.
The event will share physical and mental health resources, encouraging healthy lifestyle choices. It will provide hands- on opportunities to learn about various health care careers and promote health by educating individuals on strategies for behavior modifications. Presenters will encourage young adults to understand the dangers of engaging in activities that can affect their overall quality of life.
Beal plans to have interactive stations such as stress management activities (coloring and making stress balls, tobacco awareness, exercise demonstrations), healthy eating tips (potential snacks to try), various health-related topics from health sciences programs across the College district, and various vendors. There will also be stations to take blood pressure, learn about breast and prostate cancer, and more.
I have been both a clinician working in hospitals and in academia and seen the impact sedentary lifestyles can have on individuals. I personally am taking charge of my own physical and mental health and feel it is important in academia for everyone to be educated on the importance of physical and mental health.
She believes teaching leads to very sedentary lifestyles as individuals are either in their offices or in a classroom with limited movement, and staff and students do not get enough active movement.
“The food choices we make typically are poor as we are limited with time or eat for satisfaction,” Beal said. “I want to make an impact on changing behaviors one step at a time. The Health and Wellness Fair is one way to impact someone at our College.”
The fair is intended to be an annual event. Beal sought the grant to help make it bigger and better. The fair is tentatively planned for late March or early April 2024.
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