Bee Well Initiative Opens Doors, Creates New Services for Students
February 23, 2023
Contact: Office of Advancement and External Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
Nikki Singleton came to The University of Baltimore with a dream to help others by establishing a counseling practice focused on supporting mental health and wellness.
It's why she brought her transfer credits from Community College of Baltimore County to earn a bachelor's degree in Human Services Administration—an achievement that she hopes will inspire her daughters.
It's why she hopes her next step is admission into the Applied Psychology master's program, which offers a counseling concentration.
It's why she's spending this academic year developing the Bee Well Initiative with the University's Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion (CSEI).
Singleton is serving as the wellness coordinator, a grant-funded position made possible through the Transform Mid-Atlantic AmeriCorps VISTA Program. This program has previously helped UBalt build services to support students, such as the Campus Pantry. In Singleton's case, it can create opportunities for students to put their academic lessons into practice.
"The skills I'm learning now [will] benefit my future," she said. "It's my passion."
The Bee Well Initiative is designed to meet students’ developing needs in critical areas, particularly addressing mental, physical and sexual health, explained Malissa Rivera, who oversees Singleton as CSEI's coordinator for service learning and community engagement.
"We're creating programs that can be sustainable and bringing resources to campus we don't already have," Rivera said. "Mental, physical and sexual health is important for everyone at every age."
The Bee Well Initiative has already started hosting events on campus. Earlier in February, Singleton and the Office of Diversity and International Services hosted an event called African American Cuisine, Heritage, and Health, which observed Black History Month through conversations about the food that binds us and re-imagining it in a healthier light.
On Feb. 24, the Bee Well Initiative is partnering with the Office of Diversity and International Services and The Bob Parsons Veterans Center to sponsor a bus trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
The events are just the start of the initiative's work. Singleton and Rivera are working on longer-term initiatives that can be interwoven within the University culture. For one, they are creating a Peer Health Educators Program that will launch in time for the fall 2023 semester.
Following a national model, this program offers health-related training to empower interested students that can pass on their knowledge with the broader student community through classroom visits, a wellness fair, and more.
Also this fall, the initiative hopes to establish two student organizations: a UBalt chapter of Active Minds, a national organization that addresses mental health stigmas, and a Collegiate Recovery Community, which supports those in recovery and their allies. Singleton plans to host interest meetings for both future groups this spring and will offer information about these and the Bee Well Initiative at the Student Engagement Fair on Feb. 23.
For Singleton, each opportunity can be a gateway for other students to find the help and support they need and might not have anywhere else. She was once in that position and found a counseling center that wasn’t intrusive or judgmental, but provided the exact level of calm she needed when she needed it.
Now, Singleton can pay it forward.
"I just love to help people. I love to help people problem solve and empower themselves," she said.
COMING UP
Don't miss Black Mental Health Matters from 3-5 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Hilda and Michael Bogomolny Room, located on the fifth floor of UBalt Student Center.
This event, co-sponsored by the Student Events Board, the Women of Color Student Association, the Student Government Association, and the Office of Diversity and International Services, includes discussion, activities, and individual reflection in honor of Black History Month. Visit CampusGroups to register and learn more.