By: Minh Tran, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Well-Being Leader

As a Well-Being Leader, I serve as a guide, helping students manage stress and support their overall well being. However, it would be ironic to say that I myself struggle with my own well-being, but it is true; I am not shy to say I struggle sometimes. Being a Well-Being leader doesn’t make me “immune” or “cured” from these struggles, rather it makes me more aware of them in my own life and yours as well. It may seem counterintuitive to try to seek advice from someone who’s dealing with their own issues, but in reality, it just makes me more human because of it. In this blog, I’m choosing to be transparent about my own journey of well-being, and I hope this sheds light on how we all deal with our personal struggles and find ways to cope.

My struggles with Physical Well-Being:
This was something I struggled with the most as I navigated college and juggling work. It felt hard to prioritize my health over things I felt were dire, like my academics and extracurriculars. I would sacrifice sleep just to pull all-nighters to study for big exams. I would even sacrifice eating just so I could sleep longer before class. I struggled balancing life with my own physical well-being, as it felt like I needed to sacrifice one for the other. I am hyper-aware that I am not living my life as healthily or as physically as I could be, but this awareness is a step closer toward making a change.

My struggles with Emotional Well-Being:
Of all the things I’ve faced, my emotional well-being is the struggle I’ve carried most silently. It is an internal struggle that has been hard for me to face, as introspection can be difficult if you don’t understand yourself that well. I understand myself emotionally very well, but it is hard for me to let others in and share those internal feelings. When I have a problem, it is very difficult for me to open up, so I deal with my emotions on my own instead of with others. So a lot of the time, people find me very happy and optimistic because I keep the emotional side of myself hidden, which has hurt me more than it should.

My struggles with Social Well-Being:
This is something I have felt I have struggled with all my life. In social settings where I feel foreign or just not comfortable, I am always quiet and never speak up. I’d like to blame that on my introversion, but I feel like I am social when it is with the right people, not necessarily people I know. Small talk is something I feel like I could never do, and at times, I feel like my social well-being is at its lowest because I don’t have the confidence to socialize with people I am not already comfortable with. This is something I’d like to work on because I really do enjoy meeting new people, but it is hard to when you are at a social plateau in your life.

I hope my honesty and willingness to share personal struggles that are private to me can allow you to do the same and reach out for help, even if you think you can face your struggles alone. Everyone struggles, even the people you least expect. Make your struggles known even if you are scared to, because there is always a system of people out there who will support you in every which way.

By: Saryna Vith, Manning School of Business Well-Being Leader

I picked up my graduation gown the other day, and somehow that simple moment felt heavier than it should have. It’s just fabric, right? But putting it on, taking pictures with friends, laughing like we always do…it all felt different. Like something was changing, right in front of us.

We kept saying it to each other over and over: we made it!!

And we did. Through the late nights, the stress, the confusion, the growth, the breakdowns, the wins, everything. We made it to this point together.

Four years.  

It sounded like a long time when we started. It felt endless back then. But now? It feels like it passed in a blink. And somehow, picking up that gown made it all sink in…this is really about to be over.

It’s strange. You don’t just think about the good moments. You remember the hard ones too. The days you felt lost, the moments you thought you wouldn’t get through. And now they all feel meaningful, like they were shaping something you didn’t fully see at the time.

Standing there holding the gown, surrounded by people who became more than just classmates, I realized this isn’t the end just yet, but it’s close enough to feel it.

And that’s what makes it beautiful.  

And a little overwhelming.

Because we really did make it.  

And soon… we’ll have to let it go.

Sai Igiede, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Well-being Leader

It’s Sai, your local well-being leader, and today is different than normal, as this is my last blog post! I know I’m just as sad as you all are!

​As an almost graduating senior, I have served as a well-being leader for nearly three years, writing over 20 blog posts that span all eight dimensions of wellness. I wanted to not only recap my semester but also look at what’s in store for me!

First, what have I been doing this whole time?

Here’s a quick rundown of the past 6+ months for me, rapid fire! (Not really rapid-fire, but rapid-fire to me!

1. GRADUATION

WE ARE GRADUATING; LET’S GO! So I will be getting my B.S. in public health with a health science concentration and a minor in pharmaceutical science. This has been a very long time coming. I will also be graduating with honors (fingers crossed—I will get into more detail later). I am also pleased to say that I was chosen to receive the Chancellor’s Medal in Student Service, which I don’t take lightly! It was low-key a shock to me that I even got it, but I’m nonetheless happy! As for my future plans, I will be a graduate student here at UMass Lowell getting my master’s in public health, which I am very excited for, and then I will plan on pursuing more schooling after!

2. INTERNSHIPS/JOBS

When it came to working jobs on campus, let’s just say I was booked! I worked two internships during my spring semester. My second one was at the International Institute of New England as a shelter service legal intern in downtown Lowell. At this internship, I was working with attorneys, case managers, and employment officers to help asylum seekers and refugees with housing and employment throughout the New England area! This internship was extremely rewarding and beneficial as I was able to use my public health knowledge outside the classroom. My second internship is currently with both the Student Life and Well-Being office and also a company called Release Recovery. With this internship, I was able to sharpen both my hard and soft skills through tabling, data collection, and policy creation and recommendations. Both these internships made me not only a better student but a better worker as well. Lastly, I was able to continue my work as a wellbeing leader as well as being a residential advisor in Fox Hall.

3. WRAPPING UP SCHOOL

Lastly, looking back at school, I still have a few things pending, like my honors project presentation, which is on Wednesday, and some applications for external stuff. Looking back at my 4 years here, I am so happy that I chose UMass Lowell. I would’ve never met my best friend Nokomis, fallen in love with my major, met my boyfriend, and so much more!

​

As I wrap up both my semester and my undergraduate year at UMass, I wanted to thank everyone I’ve met and who has supported me throughout this crazy and fun journey here!

Until next time,

Sai

By: Nokomis Bramantecohen, College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Well-Being Leader

Introduction:

Hello! It has now officially come to that bittersweet time of the year where seniors are buying their grad dresses, suits, heels, wrapping up all their capstones and thesis for classes, and finally… picking up their graduate cap, gown, tassel, and stoles. In complete transparency, going into University Crossing had made me really emotional. All of the friends, peers, and classmates that I have made along the way were all there and it was such a special moment. It is mind boggling to me that in just a month we will all be going on our own separate journeys. I am going to use this blog space to give me the time to reflect and write to past self and also write about my future self! 

Letter to My Younger Self: 

If I could go back and talk to my younger freshman year self, the first thing I would say is to be kinder to yourself. You spent so much time trying to map everything out, wanting a perfect plan, but life doesn’t work like that. The people you meet, the opportunities you get, and the paths that you take… none of it is guaranteed and that is okay! 

Another piece of information that I would want to say would be that no one is going to “save” you, and that is not a bad thing! It just means that you have more power, strength, and confidence than you think! Of course there are mentors, peers, and a social circle to help you out, but at the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone else ever will. So trust that and trust your gut!

And lastly, stop being so hard on yourself! You’re constantly stuck either replaying the past or worrying about the future, and you often forget to be where you are. It’s much easier said than done, but try to let go of what doesn’t serve you, especially the hurt that is caused by others. Holding onto it only drains you. If it has no purpose within your life, then it doesn’t deserve your energy! Always remember to have confidence in yourself, you are way more capable than you give yourself credit for. 

Letter to My Future Self: 

I hope you’ve come to realize that you were always going to be okay, whether you reached milestones alone or alongside others. I hope you’ve learned how to take up space, to use the resources around you, and lean into the support systems you once hesitated to trust. 

Independence is important, but so is asking for help. I hope you’ve found balance in that. 

Right now, you’re working towards becoming a social worker, planning to attend Salem State University and fully commit to the program. I hope you follow through. I hope you found purpose in helping others, while still taking care of yourself too!

I hope you didn’t let rejection define you. That you learned to celebrate both the big wins and the small ones, like simply getting through a hard day or sticking to your routine. Not everything is meant for you, and that’s okay.

I also hope you made time to explore the world. To step outside of what’s familiar and immerse yourself in places, people, and experiences that changed you. Because at the end of the day, I hope you chose to be rich in memories rather than just money.

More than anything, I hope you become someone you’re proud of, someone who inspires others simply by being authentic, resilient, and open to growth.

By: Fallon Weiss, Kennedy College of Sciences Well-Being Leader

There’s a strange kind of quiet that comes with writing a final post like this.

Not the heavy kind, not an ending exactly, but something much more softer than that. Like the moments after a show closes, when the stage is empty but still holds the shape of everything that happened there. That’s a little like how this experience feels to me now.

Being part of the Off-Broadway Players here has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time in college. Not just because of the performances, but because of everything in between: the rehearsals that didn’t go as planned, the moments of doubt, the times when I wasn’t sure if I was doing enough or being enough.

The truth is, I’ve learned that growth rarely feels like growth when you’re in the middle of it.

Learning to be comfortable with struggling is difficult. It goes against instinct. We want to feel capable, steady, sure of ourselves. Struggle feels like a sign that something is wrong. But over time, I’ve started to see it differently. Struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing: it means you’re in the process of learning. It means you’re stretching into something new, even if it feels uncomfortable or uncertain.

And a lot of that growth doesn’t happen alone.

Asking for help has been one of the hardest things for me to learn. It can feel vulnerable in a way that’s hard to explain, like admitting you don’t quite have it all together when it seems like everyone else does. But every time I’ve pushed past that hesitation and reached out, I’ve been reminded of something important: people want to support you. You’re not as alone as your mind might make you feel.

There’s a kind of quiet confidence that comes from that realization. Not the kind that says you can do everything by yourself, but the kind that reminds you that you don’t have to.

At the same time, I’ve learned how important it is to make space for yourself. Not just to rest, but to actually live. Making time for yourself means making time for the things that bring you back to who you are. Your creativity. Your joy. Your sense of play. The things that don’t have to be productive to be meaningful. It’s easy to let those things fall away when life gets busy, but they’re often the very things that help you stay grounded.

And maybe the biggest thing I’m taking with me is this: 

You are always more than you think you are.

More capable than you give yourself credit for. More resilient than you realize in difficult moments. More deserving of patience, care, and kindness: especially from yourself.

It’s easy to overlook your own growth because you experience it gradually, day by day. But that doesn’t make it any less real.

As I finish my time as a KCS Well-Being Leader, I don’t feel like I have everything figured out. But I do feel more comfortable not having all the answers. I trust myself more. I understand the value of leaning on others. And I know how important it is to make space for the parts of life that bring me joy.

If there’s anything I hope you take with you, it’s this:

Give yourself permission to struggle.

Give yourself permission to ask for help.

Give yourself permission to take up space in your own life.

And don’t forget, as I’ve always said: 

You are already more than enough, even while you’re still growing. 

This might be the end of this chapter, but it’s not the end of the story.