2018 Transforming Lives - Developing Translational Research and Transformational Leaders
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prioritizing health<br />
& wellness<br />
BY ASHLEY GREEN<br />
Over the past 10 years, researchers have seen a growing<br />
number of college students suffering from depression,<br />
anxiety, obesity <strong>and</strong> hypertension. Those trends caught<br />
the attention of Amy Sharp ‘19, Texas A&M University’s<br />
newest Student Body President.<br />
Sharp, who started her leadership role in April <strong>2018</strong>,<br />
made physical <strong>and</strong> mental health one of the key focuses<br />
of her campaign. She says physical <strong>and</strong> mental health<br />
are issues most students can resonate with.<br />
“Everyone I spoke to, as soon as I mentioned it, their<br />
eyes lit up. They told me that it is important to them <strong>and</strong><br />
impacts them or someone they love.”<br />
Sharp is working with Student Counseling Services<br />
on campus to better serve students <strong>and</strong> get them the<br />
access they need. She also points to physical activity as<br />
a way to relieve college stresses. This is something she<br />
learned first-h<strong>and</strong> with the help of the Physical Education<br />
Activity Program.<br />
Physical activity can not only<br />
improve health, but also<br />
improve mood <strong>and</strong><br />
promote higher social<br />
engagement with<br />
peers.<br />
Even so, colleges<br />
across the country<br />
have reduced the<br />
physical education<br />
requirement<br />
from core<br />
curriculum or have dropped it completely. That decision<br />
is one Sharp is against. She is hoping, through her time<br />
as President, she can use advisors <strong>and</strong> faculty to get<br />
more students participating in kinesiology classes.<br />
For Sharp, courses like these are about learning<br />
something new, being active <strong>and</strong> socializing with peers.<br />
When it came to navigating her new life at Texas A&M,<br />
making friends <strong>and</strong> receiving help <strong>and</strong> advice from<br />
upperclassmen <strong>and</strong> faculty was pivotal for her.<br />
Faculty in the program are taking advantage of Sharp’s<br />
support. They are working to establish long-term<br />
programs across the university. The first step is targeting<br />
incoming freshmen at the New Student Conferences<br />
over the summer <strong>and</strong> then developing activities for<br />
students at Fish Camp.<br />
“If they make activity a priority now, whether it is with<br />
us or at the rec center, if they get in that habit now, it<br />
will follow them over their lifetime. We’re hoping to help<br />
establish good routines now to set a foundation for<br />
lifelong activity,” explained Kristin Slagel, instructional<br />
associate professor in the Physical Education Activity<br />
Program.<br />
“Activity is a lifelong thing,” said Frank Thomas, PEAP<br />
chair. “This isn’t about playing badminton, it’s about<br />
being active <strong>and</strong> healthy for as long as you can be. When<br />
you start sitting in a chair <strong>and</strong> not doing anything, things<br />
change in a hurry.”<br />
PEAP faculty are also relying on Sharp <strong>and</strong> her cabinet<br />
to use their peer relationships to show fellow students<br />
how important physical activity is for mental <strong>and</strong> physical<br />
health.<br />
“We are grateful <strong>and</strong> excited to have somebody that<br />
is so supportive. We want to take advantage of that<br />
momentum to get long-term programs established,”<br />
explained Slagel. “We see that part of Amy’s legacy<br />
could be to impact student health. That's an amazing<br />
gift for Aggies now <strong>and</strong> moving forward.”<br />
Left: Texas A&M Student Body President Amy Sharp ‘19
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