PAW
Peer Advocates in Wellness (PAW) are graduate and undergraduate students who are dedicated to promoting all aspects of well-being, including physical, psychological, spiritual, environmental, and financial wellness. They work with the Wellness Division of the College to provide informative, interactive, and fun programming that advances the well-being of SMC students.
Some of our programs include the Wellness Fair, Send Suicide Packing, Safe Spring Break, Paint Your Mood, and the Stress Management Fair with Pet Therapy.
If you are interested in joining or learning more about PAW, please contact Megan Gallagher (mag7@stmarys-ca.edu) or Cynthia Cutshall (cac13@stmarys-ca.edu).
Want to join our mailing list to get meeting notifications and event calendar updates? Join here.
2023-2024 PAW Members
Hana Rose Lizama (she/her), Team Lead
Hi, my name is Hana. I'm from the island of Guam, and some of my hobbies include going to the beach, going on hikes, photography, and journaling. This is my third year at SMC. I am a Psych major with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. After my four years at Saint Mary's, I plan to move back to my home, become a social worker, and help children with poor mental health or those who come from broken homes. Throughout high school, I was in the Interact Club which hosted many helpful events such as food drives, soup kitchens, and beach cleanups, etc! I'm excited to be a part of PAW because I have always had the drive to help people, and being a part of PAW offers me the opportunity to work with others, learn a lot about myself (and others), and advocate for the wellness of everyone.
Aya Banaja (she/her), Assistant Team Lead
My name is Aya Banaja, and I’m a first year student here at Saint Mary’s planning on majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Counseling. I am passionate about equity topics and on top of being in PAW, I am also a student specialist in the Center for Women & Gender Equity and SCAAR liaison. I’m super excited to be working alongside the PAW team to connect with more people who want to work towards prioritizing mental health and wellness on our campus.