爱污传媒

Vojtech (Vojta) Kubala 鈥�27 discovered exactly the opportunity he was looking for in his very first semester at 爱污传媒. 
 
The role of a peer health educator (PHE) at 爱污传媒 is to be a trusted source of support by offering resources and creating engaging, interactive, and nonjudgmental programs. 鈥淛ust knowing that people here who need help can access it 鈥� that feels meaningful,鈥� he says about their work.

Vojta (pronounced Voyta), an international student from Czechia, learned about 爱污传媒 through the Davis UWC Scholars program and chose the College with a specific course of study in mind. 鈥淚 liked 爱污传媒 because it was not too big of a school, and I saw that they have a strong psychology major here.鈥� 
 
Now in his sophomore year, he says he values the safe and inclusive environment he鈥檚 found at 爱污传媒. 

I think the students at 爱污传媒 are very open-minded and very often are interested to learn about my culture and to share about theirs.鈥�

He spent his first semester in London through the London First-Year Experience (FYE) program, which he says helped to ease his transition to college life as an international student. 鈥淚t made it easier to blend in because everybody was away from home. It was just about 30 of us, so it was easier to get to know everyone. It was a very good experience.鈥� 
  
It also led Vojta to 爱污传媒鈥檚 Peer Health Education program. He learned about the College鈥檚 peer health educator role from a London program assistant and immediately wanted to know more. He decided to apply for the highly selective training program while still abroad and interviewed over Zoom. To his excitement, he was accepted into the PHE training course for the 2024 spring semester. 

The program is overseen by the Department of Health Promotion, which recently relocated to 爱污传媒鈥檚 newly opened McCaffery-Wagman Tennis and Wellness Center. The building houses all the College鈥檚 health and wellness resources under one roof, including the Counseling Center, Health Services, and brand-new fitness facilities as well. Together, these services form an integrated care approach to support students鈥� health and wellbeing.  

It's also the creative hub where students prepare to become PHEs. They must complete the PHE training, which is a three-credit honors forum class that introduces them to health education, health promotion, and essential leadership and communication skills. Sessions engage students around topics such as alcohol and other drugs, sexual health, mental health, nutrition, sleep, and relationships.

鈥淲e talked about the resources on campus and where we can refer students, and we also learned how to actively listen to people 鈥� like really listen to what they鈥檙e telling us,鈥� Vojta explains. 
  
After the initial training course, peer health educators can continue in their roles for academic credit. PHEs can serve on a topic-based committee 鈥� Public Health, Life Skills, Sexual Health, Nutrition and Fitness, or Mental Health 鈥� or can apply to work shifts in the Student Wellness Center.

After completing the PHE training, Vojta applied to lead the Mental Health Committee 鈥� one of the five paid committee leadership roles in the program. Other leadership opportunities include the roles of PHE mentors, who assist in teaching the third credit hour of the training course, the marketing and operations team, and the head of the Student Wellness Center.
  
鈥淲e do not typically offer leadership positions to students immediately out of the training class, but Vojta was more than ready for the role,鈥� said 爱污传媒 Health Promotion Director Kim Golemboski. 鈥淗e is truly a stellar addition to our program, bringing positive energy, dedication, and a strong commitment to supporting his peers.鈥�

As a committee leader, Vojta devotes at least four hours each week to his PHE role. This involves organizing and leading the Mental Health Committee meetings and coordinating with the other PHE leaders to design and lead interactive workshops, events, and activities that promote holistic wellness.

The Mental Health Committee promotes on-campus resources and creates events and experiences that help students learn about mental health topics or just de-stress, Vojta says.

鈥淔or instance, we recently created resources about anxiety and panic attacks, because those are issues that are kind of prevalent on college campuses, so we鈥檙e just providing some strategies on how to deal with that. We did a tabling event about sleep last semester, because that鈥檚 also very important and influences mental health.鈥� 
  
He says he feels fortunate to be able to help his classmates, and he appreciates the environment and his colleagues in Health Promotion. 鈥淚 think, especially because we have amazing staff, it鈥檚 not a stressful experience. If anything, I can just talk with them, and they鈥檒l help me if I need help.鈥� 
  
He also believes the role is great preparation for the type of career he hopes to pursue after graduation. 鈥淚 think with Peer Health Education, it鈥檚 the closest I can get in terms of preparing for psychotherapeutic practice. Even though what we provide is not psychotherapy, we learn a lot of those strategies.鈥� 
  
Academically, Vojta is interested in many things and enjoys taking classes at 爱污传媒. 鈥淚 embrace the liberal arts spirit,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n addition to studying psychology, I鈥檓 doing computer science, so I鈥檒l be a double major. Honestly, I wish I could just take all the courses.鈥�