Coming into to my Peer Health Educator internship, I figured I would probably be telling people what to eat and when to exercise. I could not have been more wrong. A Peer Health Educator (PHE) is a friend, an educator, an activist, a role model, and a team member. I believe that I can work to improve myself to fit perfectly into these roles to help those around me at UNE and other communities that I wish to become apart of. I blew my mind that I assumed the internship was going to be about making people healthy, which it is, but I quickly realized it is far deeper than that. My PHE and I will be discovering things about ourselves and the community to implement positive change wherever it may be needed. There isn’t a black and white idea of health, and there is far more than one pack someone can take to achieve personal wellness. I cannot wait to begin my journey in aiding people to find theirs.

I have learned a few principles of integrity that apply strongly to being an excellent PHE and a good person. Number one being: All people deserve my respect. Pretty basic, and completely relatable. I wish for everyone to follow this regardless of his or her occupation. The next principle is that we all have the right to make mistakes. This resonates with me because my life feels like a series of mistakes, but, when you understand that a mistake is just an opportunity to learn, it is no longer a bad thing. I will never use my position of influence to negatively affect another person, I must follow my own beliefs and knowledge regardless of what other people are doing, and I will take my own advice are the guidelines a PHE is given. I know there are some I wish to improve on, and some I feel I hold true to my heart already. I promise to be the best version of myself I can be while I hold this position on campus and anywhere else life may take me. I cannot wait to see where this road will lead, and I am happy with the path I have chosen.

To learn more about the wellness programs on campus go to here: https://www.une.edu/studentlife/biddeford/activities-organizations/wellness/wellness-programming

Until next time, keep smiling 🙂