Strategic Impact Report: 2014 - 2015

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OCCUPATIONAL EMOTIONAL

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INTELLECTUAL

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aquatic events brought

20,036

athletes to our facility.

724,609

patrons discovered a dimension of wellness in 2016.

3,288

participants were active in GIT Fit programs and services.

hours spent participating in Intramurals.

14,101

Guest Passes sold in 2015.

non-sleep contact hours for outdoor recreation participants.

APPLYING THE SIX DIMENSIONS OF WELLNESS MODEL By applying the model, a person becomes aware of the interconnectedness of each dimension and how they contribute to healthy living. This holistic model explains: How a person contributes to his or her environment and community, and how to build better living spaces and social networks; The enrichment of life through work, and its interconnectedness to living and playing; The development of belief systems, values, and creating a world-view; The benefits of regular physical activity, healthy eating habits, strength and vitality, as well as personal responsibility, self-care and when to seek medical attention; Self-esteem, self-control, and determination as a sense of direction; Creative and stimulating mental activities, and sharing your gifts with others.

Applying a wellness approach can be useful in nearly every human endeavor. As a pathway to optimal living, wellness is being applied to related fields, such as health promotion and holistic health, and has seen a growth in “helping professions” including counseling and medical arts and practices. – Dr. Bill Hettler, MD and National Wellness Institute, Inc.

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The Wellness Dimension descriptions in this report have been adapted from the Six Dimensions of Wellness Model, copyright 1976 by Bill Hettler, MD and the National Wellness Institute, Inc. Visit nationalwellness.org for the full descriptions on each wellness dimension and more information on the National Wellness Institute.

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WHAT IS THE EMOTIONAL DIMENSION OF WELLNESS? The emotional dimension recognizes awareness and acceptance of one’s feelings.

Emotional wellness includes the degree to which one feels positive and enthusiastic about one’s self and life. It includes the capacity to manage one’s feelings and related behaviors including the realistic assessment of one’s limitations, development of autonomy, and ability to cope effectively with stress. The well person maintains satisfying relationships with others. Awareness of, and accepting a wide range of feelings in yourself and others is essential to wellness.

On the wellness path, you’ll be able to express feelings freely and manage feelings effectively.

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JAYNE WILSON: INTRAMURAL SUPERVISOR & STUDENT MANAGER FOR COMPETITIVE SPORTS Housed under the Competitive Sports umbrella, the Intramural Sports program at the CRC provides students, faculty, and staff the opportunity for competition and fun in a variety of team and individual sports activities.

Divisions are available for Men’s, Women’s, and Co-Rec teams in a variety of skill and competition levels. With over 20 intramural sports offered each year, participants can discover many ways to connect with each other, often building relationships that last a lifetime. Jayne Wilson, one of CRC’s Intramural Supervisors, shares her experience about participating in Intramural Sports and the emotional impact playing – and officiating – had on her.

“Emotional wellness is a person’s ability to adapt and respond to the ups and downs in everyday life. It is finding our strengths and limitations, and it is being accepting of our feelings. Furthermore, emotional wellness is maintaining a positive relationship with ourselves and with the important people in our lives.

“Intramurals is organized, recreational sports programming.

I have had the privilege and benefit of participating on both sides of the program - as a player and as a student official and supervisor. This program has been huge in my emotional maturation during my time at Georgia Tech.

“Sports have been my outlet since I was old enough to join a team. Entering college broke that pattern for the first time in many years. I still played for fun sometimes, but I truly missed the structure that organized sports had added to my schedule. Intramurals, and later club soccer for a time, relieved that longing for structure, but the most constructive aspect came from the emotional development I have achieved while working for the Intramurals program.

“During my time in Intramurals I have accumulated a wide variety of experiences and relationships, and through these I have gained better awareness of how my feelings affect my actions and interactions with others. Additionally, my appreciation for the feelings of others has also grown, and it’s easier for me to gauge how people might react in different situations. I have seen and experienced the grief of defeat, the elation of victory, the mortification of a missed call, and over time I can see where I have matured in my responses to emotionally-charged conditions.

“My Intramurals coworkers and our professional staff are like a second family to me and have been a major pillar in my support system. Two years ago I had to withdraw from classes mid-semester due to a health problem. It was a difficult time, but the support of my Intramural family kept me focused through it and strengthened my resolve to come back and continue at Tech. It is not an easy thing to lay your problems

open to other people, but there is definite merit to it, and that’s something I learned from my friends here in Intramurals. The experience made me realize the importance of having that emotional support, and I feel more confidence in my ability to deal with tough situations emotionally now.

“There is more openness and resilience in how I handle myself now. It is much more difficult to rattle me and let my emotions cause me to shut down; accepting how I feel and using that to shape my actions has made me better as an individual and as a leader of others. The respect I have gained for emotion - both in myself and in others - has enabled me to cope on a daily basis far better than when I arrived at Tech. To me, I can attribute the lion’s share of that development to the Georgia Tech Intramurals Program.” crc.gatech.edu | 5

WHAT IS THE OCCUPATIONAL DIMENSION OF WELLNESS? The occupational dimension recognizes personal satisfaction and enrichment in one’s life through work. At the center of occupational wellness is the premise that occupational development is related to one’s attitude about one’s work. The choice of profession, job satisfaction, career ambitions, and personal performance are all important components of your path’s terrain.

AUSTIN WARD: OUTDOOR RECREATION LEADER Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech (ORGT) is among the largest campus programs of its kind in the country, delivering services to almost 4,000 students annually.

Not only does ORGT provide opportunities to engage in exciting adventures like kayaking, caving, and backpacking, challenge courses, and international expeditions, but ORGT thrives on employing well-trained Georgia Tech volunteers in long-term roles that encourage the development and practice of work-, team-, and management-related skills. By the end of their service with ORGT as instructors, trip and expedition leaders, and challenge course facilitators, many Georgia Tech students add impressive competencies and hundreds of hours of experience to their resumes managing risks, planning trips and expeditions, facilitating discussions, leading trainings, traveling with teams, managing budgets, and coaching individuals to higher performance.

Austin Ward arrived at Georgia Tech, young and inexperienced. His leadership skills were unrefined and his public speaking skills non-existent. When he graduated from Georgia Tech, he was a different person.

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Before graduating from Georgia Tech, Austin Ward spent 5 years as an ORGT volunteer. During this time, he was promoted to whitewater kayaking trip leader and led 31 whitewater classes and adventure trips; he led multi-week expeditions with incoming freshman in both Canada & Alaska, was elected chair of the whitewater sport committee and president of the ORGT Executive Advisory Board, facilitated 30 challenge course programs, and was selected as the first head of ORGT’s Freshman Leadership Program, CORE. In fall of 2013, Austin approached the Apple, Inc. recruiter at the annual job fair hosted in the CRC. He handed the rep his resume and they began to chat about his experiences with ORGT. The rep asked question after question about ORGT and even commented that he wasn’t used to such a range of leadership experiences detailed on most resumes he saw. Austin was feeling very optimistic about his possibilities with Apple, when the recruiter stopped and apologized. He explained that the GPA on Austin’s resume did not meet Apple’s minimum GPA for further consideration. It seemed the conversation would end there, but as Austin turned to leave, the rep stopped him and explained that he was interested in having Austin speak with his supervisor. The next week a phone conversation was arranged, which led to the scheduling of a formal phone interview, which led to an invitation to fly to San Francisco for an in-person interview. While in San Francisco, Austin was asked to demonstrate his prowess

as a programmer which, as a Georgia Tech-trained programmer, he did impressively. A couple weeks later, Austin accepted a position with Apple.

Says Austin, via an email sent to David Knobbe, Assistant Director of Outdoor Recreation, in August 2015, “I sit at Apple among some of the best and brightest our country (and others!) has to offer. Most of the people I work with are young, and some are new college grads like I was. When I talk about my college experiences, like the time I was trying to motivate a discouraged group of incoming freshmen up a steep hill covered in rock scree in the Canadian Rockies, or navigating groups down whitewater rivers in West Virginia, or even managing 20 people through TSA security (my biggest personal challenge by far!), you can tell people are thinking, ‘Why didn’t I do something like that when I was in college?’ One of my friends at

Apple who works on the motion sensing hardware in iOS devices told me that he wishes that instead of spending so much time partying, he had joined the outdoor program at his University, UC Berkeley.”

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Austin followed that up to say, “I’m super proud of all that ORGT has accomplished … It’s a shame you can’t more accurately reflect how qualified students are to lead! Their bios don’t do justice to the hours spent preparing, training, and building experience leading and problem solving.” One great thing about ORGT is that results like these tend to be more typical than exceptions. Without much effort, it’s easy to uncover former ORGT volunteers working at places like Google, Microsoft, Delta, Apple, NASA, Dell Computers, and the CDC. Clearly, Austin is on his path for Occupational Wellness at Apple, relying on his experiences and trainings with ORGT to find meaningful work in his field of expertise.

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BRITTNI WALTERS: GEORGIA TECH STUDENT – SCUBA CERTIFIED

WHAT IS THE PHYSICAL DIMENSION OF WELLNESS? The physical dimension recognizes the need for regular physical activity. Optimal wellness is met through the combination of good exercise and eating habits. As you travel the wellness path, you’ll strive to spend time building physical strength, flexibility and endurance while also taking safety precautions so you may travel your path successfully, including medical self-care and appropriate use of a medical system. The physical benefits of looking good and feeling terrific most often lead to the psychological benefits of enhanced self-esteem, self-control, determination and a sense of direction.

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The Georgia Tech Scuba program, a collaborative effort between the CRC and Georgia Tech Professional Education, has trained and certified over 1,200 participants in the past 7-8 years. The mission of the program is to Educate and Inspire Environmental and Multicultural Awareness through our training and certification program. To participate in the program, you must first obtain a medical release due to the physical requirements of the sport, and then meet the watermanship requirements of a 100-meter swim and a 5-minute swim/float. Training takes place in the CRC, however to get certified open water dives are required which must be done outside of the CRC. Trips to open water locations such as the Florida Keys take place over weekends year-round, and the annual international trip to the Caribbean takes place during spring break.

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enjoyed watching videos of life underwater, but nothing compared to the excitement I was feeling seeing it all right there in front of me. Right then I decided I wanted to get certified to scuba dive.

The beauty of getting certified to scuba dive besides the wonderful, tropical locations you can travel to, is that this is a life-time activity you can enjoy long after you graduate! Scuba diving is a physical sport that engages many of your senses – sight, touch, hearing, and even to some degree taste and smell. It’s also the closest activity to being in outer space that many of us will ever experience…only 100 feet underwater! The marine life you encounter first hand is what everyone else sees in the aquariums, only you get to swim right alongside of the sea turtles while they munch on the coral or play with the dolphins in the wild! It’s truly a privilege to share the sea with so many amazing creatures, and a huge responsibility to be good stewards of the marine environment. Being trained to scuba dive prepares you for this responsibility!

Before I came to Tech, I was a swimmer for 10 years. I loved being in the water. When I came to Tech, I wasn’t quite good enough to make the swim team, but I really missed being in the water. I tried to go swim on my own, or at least try to go for a run, but I had no end goal to motivate me. Between the stress of school and the stress of being in a new place with new people, I couldn’t bring myself to go to the gym anymore. A friend of mine introduced me to scuba diving, but I had never been in the ocean before. He took me on a trip where I snorkeled, to get me acquainted with the ocean. It was amazing! The reef was so beautiful. I

As soon as I got back from the snorkeling trip, I found the GT scuba course and registered for it. When I got to the first class, I realized scuba would be more than just putting some gear on and floating through the water. First, there was a swim test that I had to pass, and second, scuba diving is surprisingly physical. I knew then that I had to keep working out to first get in shape, then to stay in shape so I could continue diving.

Along with needing to stay in shape for scuba purposes, I wanted a healthier body overall. This became my new end goal. I knew that staying fit would help me feel good about myself, so I was determined. I began eating healthy and working out regularly. Thanks to scuba diving (and Georgia Tech scuba for planning such amazing trips), I developed my physical wellness plan which has helped relieve the stress from school!

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JASLYNN MURPHY: G.I.T. FIT PARTICIPANT

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The social dimension encourages contributing to one’s environment and community. It emphasizes the interdependence between others and nature. As you travel a wellness path, you’ll become more aware of your importance in society as well as the impact you have on multiple environments. You’ll take an active part in improving our world by encouraging healthier living and initiating better communication with those around you.

“I came to the class looking to regain my strength and confidence. I love sports and have since I was young. I was always playing a sport. I played rugby throughout

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WHAT IS THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF WELLNESS?

The R.I.P.P.E.D. Xtreme class has been a popular class at the CRC for many semesters. R.I.P.P.E.D. Xtreme is a class that is touted as the ultimate workout for those who want to push their fitness to the next level!

It includes functional training, cardio challenges, and intervals that challenge participants in many new and different ways each week. Warin White, the instructor, has built a community around his class, encouraging participants to form bonds in and out of the class. One of his students, JasLynn Murphy, gladly shared her experience with R.I.P.P.E.D. Xtreme and how it has helped her on the path to Social Wellness.

high school until my senior year of undergrad. The summer before my senior year of undergrad, I was diagnosed with chiari malformation and a spinal cyst that if burst I might have become paralyzed or worse.

So I had to quit rugby, the sport that I loved and the only form of exercise that was preventing my birth control from driving me to obesity. I had surgery the following December and after my surgery I was restricted from picking up anything heavier than a gallon of milk for 3 months. By the time I could partially workout again the damage had been done. I packed on the pounds and as a result became depressed. I was unmotivated to workout and struggled with my body image.

“My first semester of graduate school didn’t help much either, but I made a new year’s resolution as my second semester started: “I would be healthy in all aspects of life.” I wanted to lose weight, enjoy my body, and be strong again. I joined the R.I.P.P.E.D. extreme classes because I wanted to be challenged and I know that I lack the motivation to just workout by myself. Also, I don’t like wasting money so if I paid for it, I was going to be there. “…I started the classes and despite almost passing out the first day, I stuck with it. I’m glad I did. Warin creates a great workout environment. Even though he pushes you, he doesn’t go too far. He keeps up with everyone’s health, and asks us what hurts before each class. He cares about our exercise and everyday life

too. Class is a well needed change from research. The class has given me a support group outside of just academics. We’re friends and check on each other.

Warin’s classes have helped me immensely. I feel strong again and I’ve made progress towards my goal of having a healthier life. I strongly encourage anyone else who wants to have a healthy life, continue their workouts, or just gain a new support group to join a class such as this one.”

JasLynn’s experience helped her connect with others around her that were searching for more than just a workout; they were searching for a network of support to encourage each other through one more pushup… and one more week of class. JasLynn’s path to Social Wellness became clearer as she joined R.I.P.P.E.D. Xtreme. She, and others like her, discovered just how connected she is to the world around her, and how her presence in that class made a difference in her life and in the lives of others.

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WHAT IS THE INTELLECTUAL DIMENSION OF WELLNESS? The intellectual dimension recognizes one’s creative, stimulating mental activities. A well person expands his or her knowledge and skills while discovering the potential for sharing his or her gifts with others. Traveling a wellness path, you’ll explore issues related to problem solving, creativity, and learning.

As you develop your intellectual curiosity, you’ll actively strive to expand and challenge your mind with creative endeavors.

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JESSICA ALLISON: FACILITY MANAGER The role of the Building Supervisor is integral to the daily supervision and operation of the CRC. Our facility supervisors help provide and maintain a safe, pleasant environment for our patrons and ensure the safety of both patrons and coworkers through a thorough understanding and implementation of the CRC policies and procedures. Our supervisors are leaders in the CRC, providing direction in emergency situations and ensuring all programs, facilities, and equipment are operating in a safe and efficient manner. On a daily basis, they are asked to constantly solve problems and use critical thinking skills for a myriad of issues that arise.

One of our current Facility Managers, Jessica Allison, was asked to reflect on her time spent as a Facility Supervisor and the impact it has had with problem solving, creativity, and learning – three important aspects of the Intellectual Wellness path. Says Jessica, “When I applied to the position of Facility Assistant in the spring of my first year in college, it was mostly because I was tired of my dad telling me to get a job. Looking back now on the past three years in the department, I cannot imagine my time here at Tech without the influence of the Facilities Department.”

Jessica continues, saying “[d]uring my time as a Facility Assistant, Building Supervisor, and now Facility Manager, I have built countless friendships, gained an invaluable appreciation for customer service, but most notably further developed my intellectual mindset.

Working at the CRC has given me the opportunity to build and test my organizational, leadership, and professional skills within a supportive team environment. When I come in to a shift at the CRC, I never know for sure what is going to happen. However, I know it will always challenge my mind in ways not directly class-related but still completely focused on real-world problem solving.”

Jessica goes on to give specific examples of traveling the Intellectual Wellness path, saying “I have used my computer science skills to revamp internal organization and expedite staff assessments, my psychology skills to work on bettering team development and patron interactions, and my biology skills to build my confidence in responding to injuries. In turn, the CRC has given me a place to apply my skills and give back to the community that has built me up academically.

Going into my last year at Tech, I feel infinitely more prepared to handle any challenge handed to me by classes or the job hunt or the future workplace because I have had the opportunity to apply my learning to real life situations and take responsibility for using my knowledge to help the people and services around me at the CRC.” crc.gatech.edu | 13

ALEC KAYE: PRESIDENT, GEORGIA TECH CREW The Georgia Tech Rowing Club is a competitive sport club under the direction of the CRC, boasting a growing collection of national collegiate titles and a list of alumni that have rowed nationally for the United States. Many of these alumni began their rowing careers during their college years. This club provides more than just the opportunity to improve athleticism: It improves the members’ understanding of spirituality.

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The spiritual dimension recognizes our search for meaning and purpose in human existence. It includes the development of a deep appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and natural forces that exist in the universe. You’ll know you’re becoming spiritually well when your actions become more consistent with your beliefs and values, resulting in a “world view.”

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WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF WELLNESS?

Spirituality is the sensation of knowing you are a mere piece of something much greater, with the counterbalancing recognition that you also matter greatly in that whole. All the pieces carry importance, regardless of how different they are. As for the exact meaning and purpose of each piece, that remains for you to discover and define for yourself.

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One moment cannot encapsulate how integral spirituality is in rowing, because rowing and spirituality are about the journey we take, both alone and together.

We learn to refuse defining “success” by the end result.

True success is found within the boat, with the interaction between the rowers.

I began learning this lesson not too long ago. I never knew of rowing before I came to Tech. There has been so much I’ve been exposed to while here, including at first many feelings of doubt and dislocation. But when I, on a whim, stumbled into one of Tech’s boats my freshman year, the entire crew knew we discovered a vast and wonderful new world. Well, the discovery was first of humility, since the boat, no wider than my hips, did not stabilize easily. Then Coach had us sit still. After the boat calmed, he instructed us to pay attention to the boat as he told one rower to slowly adjust his own positioning. From this moment on, we developed a deep appreciation for the effect we have on everyone else in the boat. But what is our purpose?

We are taught not to keep our eyes on the finish line.

Instead, we each search for a sensation of lightness in every stroke, where the boat separates and transcends the water. This lightness is a shy creature, coming in and out enough to keep us hungry. The formula is simple: row together. Not “row better” than the others in the boat. Not “row stronger.” Together means we listen to each other’s motion. Together means letting one another converse our beliefs of the ideal stroke, and

reason with one another until we accept the connection and allow for the flow of the boat. The flow that seems to take away our fatigue, our worry, our breath. The sensation that is far greater than what one can accomplish alone.

Some days, we find ourselves finishing a practice empty-handed in this search. The river on which we row may have been unusually rough one day, or maybe

encountering a beaver alongside the banks offered enough distraction another day. Regardless of the reason, when a crew does not perform well, each member can sense it without a word spoken. This path we take is not easily treaded. These experiences, perhaps more so than positive ones, help bring strength to our purpose and help refine exactly for what we search.

This sport club offers to its members a network of friends aiming for the same goal. Friends who pull for one another, helping propel each other through those rough and rugged patches in our path. The intriguing and fortunate portion is how this message is not unique to the Rowing Club. Each sport club at Tech continually provides students with support throughout their own spiritual journey. crc.gatech.edu | 15

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