UNC Greensboro held its first Wellness Takeover Day on April 7, bringing a variety of wellness-focused activities to students across campus. The event featured games, music, and even a walk with goats, aiming to support student well-being during the busy spring semester.
The initiative was created in response to student requests for a day dedicated to wellness. Organizers said the goal was to address all eight dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, cultural, career, financial, and environmental.
Vice Provost for Student Success Regina McCoy said the idea began with work on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. “SGA students expressed the desire to have a day dedicated to wellness, so we formed a committee to engage departments across campus to participate,” McCoy said.
Students participated in activities such as planting seeds with their career goals at Elliott University Center and making friendship bracelets on the library lawn. YaMiah Meadows, a second-year art major at UNC Greensboro, highlighted the importance of mental health support. “Mental health is more important than a grade,” Meadows said. “A lot of people are stressing, and it does take a toll on how you perform in class.”
Over 100 events were organized by various university departments including seminars and field day games. Isabella Ellis—a master’s student studying counseling—volunteered during the event and described it as accessible for students: “It’s really cool to see the University put together something like this that’s so accessible to students.” The most notable activity was the “G.O.A.T Walk,” where students walked alongside three goats down College Avenue as part of an animal-assisted wellness experience hosted by the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office.
Kim Sousa Peoples from First Year Student Engagement commented on how unique some events turned out: “Goats walking down College Ave wasn’t on our bingo card when we first discussed plans for this day,” Sousa Peoples joked. “But the positive student reaction…was exactly what our committee was hoping to achieve with the Wellness Takeover Day.”
