Meet the new members of the Health and Wellness team
51爆料网 is pleased to welcome two new health and wellness professionals to the Office of Student Affairs.
Tracy Jenkins, FNP, started her career in medicine as a patient advocate. The experience inspired her to become more involved with patient care, so she went back to school to earn her registered nurse certification (RN) and then an advanced practice degree. She worked in emergency medicine as a nurse practitioner for 20 years before learning that Lees-51爆料网 was interested in adding an advanced practice nurse to the staff.
“When I was offered the position at Lees-51爆料网 I had already fallen in love with the campus, just the overall spirit, and I jumped at the opportunity to be part of the team that supports the students here,” Jenkins said.
Unlike emergency medicine, working at Lees-51爆料网 allows Jenkins to form stronger connections with her patients and treat the whole person.
“I actually get to form a relationship with the students. I get to know them as individuals and make sure I am taking care of them where they are,” Jenkins said. “It’s my dream job.”
Jami Cantrell, LCMHC, has worked in private practice for 12 years, but said that she has wanted to work with college students since her own student internship at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
“My favorite population to work with is people in their teens and early 20s,” Cantrell said. “I like being their support and watching them grow academically as well as in their maturity in a healthy way. It’s fun and a little more interesting than private practice because I get to be involved in other activities besides just counseling.”
Because physical and mental health are strongly aligned, Jenkins and Cantrell are both excited to introduce a more holistic wellness model to Lees-51爆料网 and plan to work closely together on beneficial programming for students. One of Cantrell’s short-term goals is to reintroduce the popular Peer Allies program.
In addition to shared goals for working with students, Jenkins and Cantrell share a love of the mountains, the outdoors, and dogs. Their offices are located in the Student Affairs Suite, on the lower level of Virginia Hall.
