Rooted

On our final podcast of our GA careers, we chat with the one and only Kelly Hughes, Campus Minister for Retreats here at Boston College. Together, we define what 'transition' means to each of us, share experiences of transition, and wrestle with our fear and anxiety as well as joy that comes with the change that comes with transition.

Thank you for journeying with us on this Rooted podcast. We hope that this last one brings you language, comfort, and peace as you navigate the transitions in your own life.

#BostonCollege #CenterforStudentWellness

Liz Hauck is a BC grad, Convocation Speaker for the BC Class of 2026 and the author of Homemade: A Story of Grief, Groceries, Showing Up - and What We Make When We Make Dinner. We invited Liz on the podcast to help us understand how conversations regarding mental health at BC have shifted overtime. Liz has worked in various education and social service settings and speaks to how these spaces have informed her own understanding of mental health. We hope that students will walk away with gratitude for the progress that has been made and inspired to continue to advocate for increased mental health conversations and resources at BC and beyond.

On this episode, we talk with Kyleigh Leddy, a former Boston College student and author, whose first book, The Perfect Other: A Memoir of My Sister, highlights her experience of growing up with a sister with a severe mental illness. Kyleigh speaks to the challenges of publicly sharing her vulnerabilities as well as the ways in which her sister's story impacted her while at BC and beyond. We hope that this conversation will continue to reduce stigma around severe mental illness and provide comfort for students at BC who are balancing their own mental health challenges, caregiving responsibilities, and loss.

Warning: This episode discusses severe mental health, death, and grief.

#BostonCollege #CenterforStudentWellness

On this episode we talk with Emily Egan, Campus Minister for the Arrupe International Volunteers Program, and Melissa Woolsey, Associate Dean of Student Conduct. They share their background and training with Restorative Practices and how it informs their work at Boston College. They also clarify misconceptions associated with restorative justice, and explore the potential intersections of restorative practices and mental health. We hope that students find this conversation relevant as they search for different ways to engage with one another as well as BC's administration and institution around issues related to campus life and student mental health.

#BostonCollege #CenterforStudentWellness

On this episode, we talk with Cassidy Gallegos, Assistant Director for Mental Health and Wellness here in the Center for Student Wellness. Cassidy is a passionate advocate and educator with a masters degree in Mental Health Counseling,  and is currently creating and implementing a comprehensive approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention on campus. We talk with Cassidy about the 'culture of perfectionism' on BC's campus, what it means to talk about mental health, especially suicide and suicide prevention. 

#BostonCollege #CenterforStudentWellness

GAs Kayla, Tucker, and Franny sit down with BC students Ainsley Kohler and Parker Keller, who are two peer Wellness Coaches from the Center for Student Wellness. Ainsley and Parker share from their perspective as students and Wellness Coaches on common mental health challenges on campus and having conversations with fellow students about mental health and wellness.

Want to meet with a Wellness Coach? Sign up HERE.

#BostonCollege #CenterforStudentWellness

In this first, official episode of Season 3, Franny, Kayla and Tucker sit down with Lubens Benjamin and Meghan Heckelman. Lubens is the President of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College and Meghan is the Director of Student Initiatives with UGBC. They talk about their experience being student leaders on campus, some of the mental health challenges they see students facing, and their efforts to change the conversation around mental health on campus.

#BostonCollege #CenterforStudentWellness

GAs Tucker Meijer and Franny Hess spend some time with Convocation Speaker and BC Double Eagle Alumna Liz Hauck to talk about her experience creating the cooking program that her book Homemade is based upon. We talk about our ability to be flexible and adaptable with our engagement in temporary communities in which we serve, how we know when we are called to serve or not, and committing to serving in the ways we can. 

#CenterforStudentWellness #BostonCollege #Homemade

In this episode, we continue to talk with Akua Sarr and Biz Bracher about the Courage to Know program. They tell us about the course's history, the way in which they create a classroom environment built for courageous conversations, and they share with us their call to action for professors and the student body.

#CenterforStudentWellness #BostonCollege

In this episode, we talk with Akua Sarr, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, and Biz Bracher, Director of the Cornerstone Seminar Program, both of whom are instructors for the Courage to Know (CTK) course. We hear from them about how their own journey and formation contributes to their work today, and learn about the work in the Courage to Know program. This is Part 1 of a two part conversation with our guests. 

Click HERE for a transcript of our conversation.

#CenterforStudentWellness #BostonCollege