Helmbrecht named Campus Wellness Officer

Helmbrecht said her idea for campus wellness is not to duplicate or take over what others are doing but to highlight and promote events related to wellness.

“So many activities and resources are already available and help improve student wellness and many may not realize that wellness is not just fitness and nutrition or seeing a counselor. Wellness can also include social activities and support through peer mentoring, environmental components such as getting outside and walking instead of driving, and occupational supports like workshops hosted by the library or opportunities like internships,” Helmbrecht said.

Aside from promoting such events, Helmbrecht plans to provide additional activities based on what students need and want.

“For example, a social media poll showed students wanted to try yoga,” she said.

She accommodated that request by teaching a restorative yoga session Feb. 15. She and her student staff manage the @csc.wellness Instagram account.

“The goal of primary prevention in health and wellness promotion is to provide knowledge and resources to students before the situation is dire,” she said. “Offering stress management workshops, for example, can provide tools students can use when they need them and before it becomes a crisis. My hope is for students to learn how to cope and thrive through prevention strategies.”

She said she wrote the grant with a two-fold prevention goal: helping students and avoiding overloading the counseling center.

Helmbrecht, a faculty member since 2015, advises students and teaches Personal Health and Wellness, Fitness Activities, Group Fitness Instruction, Health Topics, and Community and Environmental Health. She teaches the Sports Reporters Capstone course and has previously taught Sports Officiating, Advanced Fitness Activities, and Team Sports. She is the first female Faculty Athletic Representative at CSC. In 2022, she participated in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' Emerging Leaders Program in Washington D.C.

In the community, she is the president of the Northwest Nebraska Trails Association, a group involved in maintaining trails for hiking and non-motorized vehicles. She is the secretary of Bike Walk Nebraska, a member of the American College of Health Association, and a certified group fitness instructor by the American Council on Exercise. 

Those interested in contacting her about the grant may reach her at 308-432-6374 or bhelmbrecht@csc.edu.