It’s been 20 years since the Cougar Peer Educators began striving to promote a healthy lifestyle. Even with a new group of educators, its mission of serving the study body as role models has sustained.
Nutrition junior Annabella Bruzual, who joined the Educators this semester, helps make the organization a success and serves as its social media chair.
“It’s an organization that wants to provide awareness resources and information related to health,” Bruzual said. “So any question that a student might have regarding any components of health — whether it be mental, spiritual, nutrition, fitness or social — they can come to us, and we provide information for them. What we want to be able to promote to the student body is that they’re not alone, that there’s people here that can help them out and whatever they need, we have the resources for them.
“I (also) think it all starts with the knowledge. It’s getting informed and just getting active. You have to start somewhere. You’re not going to get up and be an athlete in a week. But it’s pushing yourself every day and trying your hardest every day, and we’re here to support you. If you want one of our members to come run with you or help you, let us know, or if you need help with nutrition or anything.”
Kinesiology-health professions junior Eduardo Obregon has been the president of Cougar Peer Educators for the past year and decided to get involved with the organization because it sounded like a great opportunity to help and teach his peers about their overall health and wellness.
“My organization impacts students by increasing their knowledge of general health and wellness within the six dimensions of wellness. The dimensions of wellness consist of physical, occupational, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual wellness. We do a lot of collaboration events with the UH wellness department since they are the ones that sponsor the organization, but the one big event that we do that is always fun to do would have to be the ‘Paint Your Nails Pink’ event, which is an event supporting Breast Cancer Awareness,” Obregon said.
“I’m proud of this event because we raise money to send to the Susan G. Komen foundation and also paint both male and female fingernails pink. This event is great to host because you really can see how many students support and want to know more about breast cancer.”
The group’s most recent event was Monday at the Philip G. Hoffman Building Breezeway, where instead of selling cupcakes and cookies, fruit cups were sold for $1. Students interested in the organization can visit the Educators at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center to gain the skills necessary to inspire their peers.
“I would like to say that next year (for students) to keep a look out for us around campus because we will be everywhere providing workshops, fun events, to even having a HIPOD (Health Information Peer on Demand) tent that we will pass out health and wellness information that students might want to know and need,” Obregon said.
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