Wellness Students of the Month

Modern and Innovative Techniques to Create Healthier Lifestyles

At the core of the program, CIP is committed to address the wellness of each student. The Wellness Program offers nutrition classes, fitness training, sensory diets, yoga and exercise clubs and many more modern and innovative techniques which help create healthier lifestyles and provide education about physical fitness and well-being.

The CIP Wellness Students of the Month are…

Berkshire Center – Courtney Ramsdell

By Kristen Vorisek, Berkshire Center Health and Wellness Coordinator

Courtney has a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards wellness.
Over the last several months, she made great strides towards her goals, and has done it with energy and determination. In her wellness sessions, Courtney focuses on improving her motor coordination, posture, and balance. When asked what brought about the changes she made to better her health, she said, “I was inspired to be more aware of my body and how I appear towards the world.”

She approaches each of her individual sessions with a goal in mind. For example, if Courtney focuses on working her core and lower body in one session, she is motivated to do exercises to strengthen her upper body in her next session. Most of her sessions include practicing several balancing poses. Here in the picture, she is demonstrating tree pose, which Courtney practices both in her sessions and on her own. She has made remarkable progress, and is now able to keep herself balanced for a longer period of time.

Courtney has also become more conscious of her posture in her everyday life. When walking, she now holds her shoulders back and her head high. In addition to joining The Berkshire Center’s walking group every week, Courtney has been walking 1-2 miles daily on her own.

After 2 ½ years at the Berkshire Center, Courtney plans on transitioning into a more independent lifestyle. Courtney expressed how much she will miss the friends she has made at CIP, as well as the supportive staff members who have helped her along the way. Courtney says that she will continue practicing what she has learned in wellness, because she is inspired to make the most of every day.

Bloomington Center – Braden Gertz

By Jim Walsh, Bloomington Center

Because Braden faithfully attends the Indiana University Swim Club Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday—practicing for an hour and a half each practice—he’s Bloomington Center’s Wellness Student of the Month! He also has the energy left to workout out at the gym during our Tuesday’s Wellness Class. Together, we devised a light weightlifting routine to supplement the swimming exercise he does later in the evening.

The general swim club season is from late September to early April, and the club participates in several competitions. Swim Club, as with most clubs at IU, is open to IU students, faculty, and the general public—this is a great opportunity for CIP students who aren’t IU students but, like Braden, have an interest in sports and meeting new people. Braden first attended the swim team with his social mentor, who already attended the club. The social mentor program at CIP helps connect students to activities they’d enjoy in the community.

“I was captain of the swim team in high school,” Braden explains, “all my good friends came from the swim team. The college pool is much larger; there are about 40 people in the club. It was hard getting to know people at first, but now I have quite a few new friends.”

Brevard Center – Moultrie Woodall

By Jamie Kennedy, Brevard Center Health & Wellness Coordinator

Moultrie used to see himself as having physical disadvantages, a childhood diagnosis of cerebral palsy and differing leg lengths, but that has all changed over the past semester. Moultrie’s determined attitude and failure to give-up has made him a fit and more health-conscious student. “Wellness is about balance, about visualizing the goal and taking that mental goal and molding it into a physical goal and achievement.” Moultrie routinely completes independent weekend workouts, understanding that fitness “must be done frequently and with varying intensities.”

Albeit, weight has never been an issue for this Well student, muscle development is always something he aims to increase. Understanding that, “with more lean muscle I will increase my stamina and improve ease with which I perform different exercises”. This past month Moultrie completed every independent weekend workout and simultaneously maintained a high level of commitment to nutrition. In addition, Moultrie also stretches everyday believing that “developing a calming stretch routine has helped improve my concentration and physical abilities.” He no longer has cramping problems in his gastrocnemius, or calf muscles.

The most challenging exercise for Moultrie is jogging, and with the advent of a weekly jogging regimen, “it now feels a lot better to run than it used to, it was never painful before, just very tricky.” If it takes Moultrie longer to master a new technique than other students he works adamantly to understand each individual movement and then how it can best be performed by himself.

Berkeley Center – Guido Abenes

By Nicole Knaebel, Berkeley Center Health & Wellness Coordinator

This month, the Berkeley Center is honoring Guido Abenes as the Wellness Student of the Month! Guido is a first year student who came to CIP feeling challenged by the idea of eating fruits and vegetables, despite knowing how important these are to a balanced diet. Learning more about CIP’s value in each student’s health and wellness, Guido saw an opportunity to challenge himself.

Guido met – and surpassed – this challenge. He searched for recipes that would not only expand his culinary skills but would introduce new, tasty ways that he could incorporate fruits and vegetables in his diet. He independently identified items in his pantry that were unhealthy and determined not purchase them again. When asked how he felt about his growing list of favored veggies, Guido said, “Some people might see it as a big deal. Me, I just think it’s a little hump. I thought to myself, ‘it can’t be as bad as I think, other people are eating it, so I might as well give it a shot.’”

Exercise was also on Guido’s agenda upon arriving to his new life at CIP. Without missing a step, Guido actively participated in the Berkeley Center’s weekly Walking Club, weekly Yoga class and the weekly Sensory Integration class. Additionally, Guido takes advantage of the Wellness Room in between appointments and when he has free time – using this space for yoga, with the therapy balls, or lifting weights.

Guido’s positive, energetic attitude toward helping his body and mind stay physically healthy has been a great example to all the students at the Berkeley Center. When reflecting on the last few months, Guido says, ” I am now a lot healthier, and feel a lot more energized. I’d like to be as healthy as possible to avoid problems in the future. My advice, just give it a shot!”