Student Involvement
JOIN US
Do you want to get involved with the Center for Student Wellness? We encourage you to look into our ACES Peer Health Education Scholars program!
Note: The ACES program is changing before next school year! Starting in Summer 2022, we'll be hiring on students to join CSW as student staff. Please read more about the changes here.
ACES PEER HEALTH EDUCATION
Mission Statement
Empowering students to commit to their health and wellness through peer education
What We Do
ACES peer health educators are essential in disseminating health & wellness information to the U of U campus community. We work within an area of wellness (i.e., sexual wellness, harm reduction, violence prevention, mental wellness) to develop and implement relevant programming for our peers. We collaborate in small and larger teams to create meaningful ways for students to think about their health and wellness. Some of these ways include:
- Facilitating wellness workshops & trainings
- Assisting with creation of health education marketing content
- Staffing mobile STI testing clinics (when in-person)
- Providing peer-to-peer wellness counseling
Scholarship
Each ACES member receives a $1000 scholarship each academic year, paid in two installments (one in fall, one in spring).
Program Funding
The ACES Peer Health Education Scholars program is supported by the University of Utah Parent Fund.
MEET OUR ACES

Cathleen
Zhang
Harm Reduction
Cathleen
Zhang
Harm ReductionMajor: Economics, Sociology
Where are you from? Naperville, IL
Favorite Study Spot? MHC Library
Favorite Hobby? Napping, Reading
How would you define wellness? I think wellness begins with a positive mental state, which influences every single aspect of health.

Alice
Anaya
Harm Reduction
Alice
Anaya
Harm ReductionMajor: Health Promotion and Education - Community Health
Where are you from? Los Angeles, California
Fun fact: I have visited more than 30 states and want to visit all 50! I love to travel to national parks and monuments to hike and explore.
How would you define wellness? A state of being that creates balance in our lives by striving for attainable healthy goals to push ourselves to be proactive and happy in all aspects.

Alice
Snelling
Harm Reduction
Alice
Snelling
Harm ReductionMajor: Biochemistry, International Studies
Where are you from? Belmont, CA
Favorite Study Spot? MHC Library
Fun Fact? I've been studying Mandarin Chinese on and off for about 9 years, and I've studied abroad in China twice.
How would you define wellness? Wellness to me is taking care of yourself mentally and physically and finding happiness in the process. Wellness includes setting specific goals for improvement but also being happy with who you are right now. This is a continuous process pursued individually and with the support of friends and community.

Bianca Porras
Laura
Harm Reduction
Bianca Porras
Laura
Harm ReductionMajor: Pre-Nursing with a minor in Health
Where are you from? Lima, Peru
Fun fact: I only apply hand lotion to the back of my handsand never on the palms.
How would you define wellness? A daily practice of caring for and learning more about yourself, which will look different for every individual.

Brenda Payan
Medina
Harm Reduction
Brenda Payan
Medina
Harm ReductionMajor: Materials Science & Engineering
Where are you from? Price, UT
Fun fact: I don't have any fingerprints on my right hand.
How would you define wellness? Wellness, to me, is continuously working towards a lifestyle that is sustainable, especially building habits and practices that help me feel content in what I am accomplishing and how I am treating myself.

Alexia
Arredondo
Sexual Wellness
Alexia
Arredondo
Sexual WellnessMajor: Kinesiology with an Emphasis in Exercise Science; Minoring in Chemistry and Pediatric Clinical Research
Where are you from? West Valley City, Utah
Fun fact: In my free time I love to golf and rock climb!
How would you define wellness? I define wellness as an ever changing cycle of growth, prosperity and fulfillment. Wellness is the center that drives the choices we make in pursuit of healthiness, happiness, and acceptance within ourselves.

Cloe
Butler
Sexual Wellness 
Cloe
Butler
Sexual Wellness Major: Health, Society, & Policy; Gender Studies
Where are you from? Portland, OR
Fun fact:I have been to Tanzania but never been east of Utah in the United States!
How would you define wellness? To me, wellness is multidimensional, and so much more than being physically healthy. Although it definitely includes this, wellness also encompasses being healthy mentally and in relationships. Advocating for needs and wants is another part of wellness that is often overlooked.

Elnaz Tahmassebi
Sexual Wellness
Elnaz Tahmassebi
Sexual WellnessMajor: International Studies
Where are you from? Salt Lake City, UT
Fun fact: I love to travel and read and am planning on doing a study abroad next year.
How would you define wellness? I define wellness as taking care of your mental, emotional, and physical needs, even when it's hard. Wellness is using whatever resources that are available to you in order to achieve that.

Ashley
Sand
Sexual Wellness
Ashley
Sand
Sexual WellnessMajor: Psychology and Community Health Education
Where are you from? Seattle, WA
Fun fact: I’ve flown through the Grand Canyon in a helicopter.
How would you define wellness? Actively pursuing a balance that maintains your health.

Kinzey
Brice
Sexual Wellness
Kinzey
Brice
Sexual WellnessMajor: Kinesiology
Where are you from? Hawley, PA
Fun fact: I learned how to ski when I was two years old.
How would you define wellness? To me, wellness is finding a balance between physical,emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual health. Knowing how to manage your wellbeing and seek out help when necessary is an important part of living a healthy life.

Ethan
Ramos
Violence Prevention
Ethan
Ramos
Violence PreventionWhere are you from? West Jordan, Utah
Fun Fact? I have a twin sister with a separate birthday than mine.
How would you define wellness? Taking time out of each day for yourself! Whether that be watching your favorite streamed show or buying something nice for you. TREAT YO SELF!

Shalini
Kasera
Violence Prevention
Shalini
Kasera
Violence PreventionMajor: Biology, HBS
Where are you from? Millcreek, Utah
Fun fact: I love performing Indian classical dance.
How would you define wellness? Wellness is the ability to step back from the chaotic hustle of life and recognize and address the very human needs we all have. As it turns out, we are not machines.

Melody
Liu
Violence Prevention
Melody
Liu
Violence PreventionMajor: Pre-Nursing, Minor in Ecology & Legacy, and Medical Humanities
Where are you from? I am from Redwood City, California, but I lived in Shanghai for the first 12 years of my life before I came to the US.
Fun fact: I can pretty much learn one new song just by listening to it once.
How would you define wellness? Having a good relationship with yourself, others around you, and the world you thrive in.

Eleanor
Asma
Mental Health
Eleanor
Asma
Mental HealthMajor: Social Work
Where are you from? Lake Bluff, IL
Fun fact:I am a certified wilderness first responder!
How would you define wellness?Wellness is actively pursuing a healthy lifestyle by making decisions every day that better one's mental, emotional, and physical well being.

Will
Slattery
Mental Health
Will
Slattery
Mental HealthMajor: Biomedical Engineering
Where are you from? Boise, ID
Fun fact: I have a 12-year old turtle named Tommy who roams the yard and eats the grass.
How would you define wellness? Wellness is staying actively focused on improving and maintaining your mental wellbeing, physical health, and positive relationships in your life.

Diana
Fierro
Mental Health
Diana
Fierro
Mental HealthMajor: Biology, Emphasis in genetics and genomics
Where are you from? Utah
Fun fact: I love hiking and matcha tea 🙂
How would you define wellness? The practice of mental, physical, and emotional growth.

Madeika
Vercella
Mental Health
Madeika
Vercella
Mental HealthMajor: English Literature
Where are you from? Provo, UT
Fun fact: I am trilingual! I speak English, French, and Haitian Creole.
How would you define wellness? Honoring your emotional and physical health!

Sakina
Masud
Mental Health
Sakina
Masud
Mental HealthMajor: International Studies, Emphasis in Human Rights, Health & Kinesiology, Emphasis Community Health
Where are you from? I am half Pakistani half Irish and I have lived in SLC my whole life!
Fun fact: I have been a preschool teacher for the past 4 years and have absolutely loved it!
How would you define wellness? Wellness to me is a fluid state in which mental health, physical health, spiritual health, social health, and emotional health are all balanced and prioritized. Wellness is a personal state that changes as we learn more about ourselves and experience new things in this world.

Cooper
Gale
Harm Reduction
Cooper
Gale
Harm ReductionMajor: Kinesiology
Where are you from? Denver, CO
Fun fact: I personally know 2 Olympic athletes.
How would you define wellness? The pursuit of holistic enrichment toward one's entire being.

Lexy
Nestel
Sexual Wellness
Lexy
Nestel
Sexual WellnessMajor: Health Promotion and Education, Minor: Nutrition
Where are you from? Ogden, UT
Favorite Study Spot? Marriott Honors Community
Favorite Hobby? Exercising (running, biking, swimming, hiking, skiing...playing Just Dance)
How would you define wellness? When you are doing things you love that make you feel energized, happy, confident, and healthy.

Connor Simper
Sexual Wellness
Connor Simper
Sexual WellnessMajor: Health, Society, and Policy
Where are you from? Salt Lake City, UT
Fun fact: You will often find me running up City Creek or biking down Emigration Canyon. I am passionate about public health outreach. I work as a part-time Harm Reduction Specialist at One Voice Recovery, the largest syringe exchange in the state. As a volunteer, I am a counselor at Utah Aids Foundation and screener at the 4th Street Clinic.
How would you define wellness? Wellness for me is having healthy relationships with individuals and connecting with my greater community.
ACES APPLICATION IS CLOSED FOR THE 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR.
Thank you for your interest in our program! Check back next spring to apply for next year's cohort.
- Model healthy behaviors for campus community;
- Complete all required trainings;
- Proactively develop, implement, and evaluate wellness programs as they pertain to specialized area;
- Check-in weekly with CSW staff and other PHE team members;
- Commit 60 hours over spring semester (an average of 4 hours a week);
- Assist CSW at events and outreach efforts (e.g., mobile health clinics, tabling, social media);
- Actively refer students to the CSW and other wellness-related resources on campus; and
- Support students in leading more balanced lives by sharing wellness knowledge, intervening in potentially harmful situations, and referring to resources.
- Your intended graduation date must be at least 1 academic year after starting as a PHE (i.e., if you are accepted and begin in Fall 2019, you must not intend to graduate before Spring 2020);
- You must be able and willing to commit to 60 hours of meetings, office hours, events, workshops, or programs during your year of service;
- You must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.5; and
- You must be enrolled as a full-time student.
- Passionate about the wellness of their peers and the larger campus community;
- Dedicated to social justice and equitable wellness opportunities;
- Experienced in service and/or leadership roles (at the U or elsewhere);
- Interested in developing leadership, facilitation, and educational skills in a peer-to-peer setting;
- Strong written and verbal communicators;
- Interested in program development and evaluation; and
- Dependable, responsible, and accountable.
ACES ALUM - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Our ACES Scholars graduate and continue on to do accomplish great things.
Check out our Student Alumni Network page here!