Peer Advocates in Wellness (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.
2024-2025 PAW Members
Hana Rose Lizama (she/her), Team Lead
I am Hana Rose Lizama, a fourth-year General Psychology major at SMC. This is my third year with PAW, and second year as the team lead! I was born and raised on the island of Guam which is a U.S. territory. I love being able to share my culture and its values with others around me. Some of my hobbies include spending time with my family and dogs and going to the beach. After I graduate, I plan to move home, obtain my Master's in Counseling, and become a school therapist. Over these past three years, I have loved working with PAW because I have a passion for helping others and advocating for mental health and well-being.
Kayla Redman (she/her), Assistant Team Lead
Hi, I'm Kayla and I am a third-year Communications major here at Saint Mary's. I am from Fremont, CA, and grew up being very aware of how important mental health is to one's overall wellbeing. That is what drew me to PAW. I know how important mental health resources are, not only with professionals like the CAPS staff but among peers in a more relaxed and informal environment. After graduation, I plan on exploring what I can do with my communications degree at Grad School. I am interested in film, the music industry, and public relations/social media marketing. I am so excited to be a part of the PAW team again this year so I can help others build a safe community on campus.
Jess Guzman (she/her), Social Media Coordinator
I am Jessica "Jess" Guzman, a post-master's student at Saint Mary's! I earned my MA in counseling but returned to do my Pupil Personnel Services Credential to work in the K-12 setting. In addition to working as PAW's Social Media Specialist, I assist in running student club groups on campus, which are the Graduate Student of Color Group (G-SOC), the Counseling Department Graduate Student Organization (CDGSO), the Graduate Student Association (GSA), and The Afro-Latinx/Latinx/Indigenous People's Action Subcommittee (ALLI-PAS). I am passionate about providing therapy to low-income groups and first-generation students and promoting mental health in the community. I am happy to be working with PAW to help promote wellness in the Saint Mary's community and develop more resources for all of the students.
Zoe Baker-Cohn (she/her), PAW Mentee
Hi, my name is Zoe Baker-Cohn. I am a third-year here at Saint Mary's. I am a Psychology major with a minor in Kinesiology. After college, I hope to become a child life specialist and also work part-time in a marine sanctuary. I am excited to be a part of PAW and to learn new ways to help advocate for mental health and to also have maybe more events surrounding wellness and mental health on campus.
Kyla Cottrell (she/her), PAW Mentee
Hi! My name is Kyla Cottrell. I am from Seattle WA and I am a senior here at St. Mary's. I am a general psychology major. Giving attention to, and nurturing both mental and physical health is a value of mine. I hope to do just that within PAW and with my career. I'm excited to facilitate gaining knowledge about health and happiness this year!
Savannah Laguna (she/her), PAW Mentee
Hi everyone my name is Savannah Laguna and I am a fourth year behavioral neuroscience major! To me mental health is as important as physical health. We have some really fun wellness events planned so make sure to keep a look out! :)