Philanthropic support is expanding opportunities for West Virginia University students to build community and boost their mental health by participating in the Well-Being Adventure Series and Mountaineer Meet Ups. (WVU Photo)
Philanthropic support is expanding opportunities for West Virginia University students to build community by getting outside, pursuing hobbies, sharing meals and more while developing critical skills to promote their future success and well-being.
The Gruver Family Evergreen Fund has provided more than $50,000 to benefit the Well-Being Adventure Series and Mountaineer Meet Ups. Both programs are designed to foster connections and improve mental health amid high rates of stress, anxiety and depression reported by college students across the United States.
“We sometimes refer to students’ well-being as a watershed,” Nathan Harlan, executive director of the WVU Office of Student Wellness, said. “The earlier we get to these students higher up in the watershed, the earlier we can address some of their challenges before loneliness becomes isolation and exacerbates depression and anxiety.”
The Well-Being Adventure Series is a partnership between Adventure WV and the Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services that integrates educational lessons with fun outdoor activities.
“What we know from the freshman orientation trips we’ve been running for nearly 20 years is that the outdoor context and environment really helps connect students,” Harlan said. “It helps bring them together. If the activities are novel and the setting is casual, the challenges tend to bring folks together in a way that few other things do.”
Carruth Center counselors join trips to share brief lessons focused on coping, resiliency and well-being with students in a relaxed setting. Director T. Anne Hawkins noted that participating students get to know Carruth Center staffers, which makes them feel more comfortable reaching out when they need help.
Mountaineer Meet Ups are peer-led groups centered around shared interests. There are existing groups for avid gamers, undergraduates looking to share a meal, students affected by addiction and more. The goal is to help students — particularly those who may not be inclined to get involved with student organizations — build community.
“It really is a very intentional way to help students find their place,” Hawkins said. “It’s increasingly more difficult post-pandemic for young adults to find their place.”
Nurturing ‘soft skills’
Both programs are cost-neutral to encourage student participation. Students are charged a $10 fee when they sign up, but their money is reimbursed if they show up for program activities.
WVU received a grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission to pilot the two programs, which have continued and grown with support from the Gruver Fund. Established by lifelong WVU supporter Dave Gruver, the fund provides support for mental health and well-being initiatives at WVU.
Gruver grew up in Hagerstown, Maryland, and often spent time with his grandparents in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle as a child. He now divides his time between West Virginia and New York City.
As director of sales for UGG in North America, Gruver has supported the WVU fashion design and merchandising program and worked with many student interns. In doing so, he’s noticed an increasing number of young adults struggling to deal with workplace challenges.
“We can teach skills, but we can’t necessarily teach wellness, resiliency, grit and the understanding that disappointment and failure are probably the best teachers for learning and growth,” Gruver said. “Those types of things are the soft skills that we try to find in people, and what Nathan, T. Anne and others are doing is all part of helping develop a well-rounded student.”
Gruver, a member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors, said it’s important to disconnect from technology and spend time outdoors for optimal health and well-being. He owns a Monroe County cabin, which he uses as an occasional family getaway and rents out via Airbnb. All rental proceeds go toward the Gruver Family Evergreen Fund.
Boosting engagement
WVU freshman Nevaeh Nesmith, of Martinsburg, opted to explore the Well-Being Adventure Series following her first-year trip experience with Adventure WV. She joined about 20 students for a flower-picking excursion at Hazel Run Flower Farm in nearby Preston County.
“It’s kind of a different experience when you’re able to go off campus to do something,” Nesmith said. “It was a really relaxing experience. I got to step away from the stress of school and just focus on being in the moment. I feel like that’s a cool opportunity to have, and it’s also a good way to meet new people because you don’t know who else is going to be on the trip until you get there.”
Nesmith, a marketing major, said a Carruth Center counselor talked with students about self-care strategies, which she appreciated.
WVU data shows both the Well-Being Adventure Series and Mountaineer Meet Ups programs are working. Surveys indicate the programs are reaching many students who feel lonely and disconnected, and they’ve reported improvements as a result of their participation.
“When students are lonely and disconnected, they don’t weather the storms that come with the transition to college or have the capacity to stay engaged,” Harlan said. “We’re targeting smaller groups of students with an intervention that I think over time is going to make a difference. I think it’s going to shape their experience on campus.”
Hasith Perera, an international student from Colombo, Sri Lanka, is pursuing his doctoral degree in physics at WVU. He first got involved with Mountaineer Meet Ups during the summer months, when student activities are limited. He enjoyed connecting with other students and eventually agreed to lead a “Get Out of the Lab” group focused on engaging graduate students.
He said he’s enjoyed getting to meet new people while exploring bike trails, coffee shops and other attractions in Morgantown.
“In your normal academic career, when you’re taking classes and all of that, you don’t get to interact so much with other departments and other perspectives,” Perera said. “Through the Mountaineer Meet Ups and Adventure programs, you get to meet people doing different things and students talk about different stuff, which I honestly enjoy. I think it’s absolutely a great idea, and I appreciate the fact that it is also focused on mental health and well-being.”
WVU alumni and friends interested in supporting the Adventure Well-Being Series or Mountaineer Meet Ups can give a gift to the Gruver Family Evergreen Fund (2W1559) at give.wvu.edu. All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
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cr/10/28/24
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