As we start the new school year, Babson College is welcoming Katia Santiago-Taylor as the new director of Wellness and Prevention Services. Katia is a resource for all students on campus and is incredibly excited to help make a change at Babson and promote wellness.
What are you most excited about coming to Babson?.
“Working with the students. Thinking about where wellness can go beyond sexual health, alcohol and other drugs, really thinking about the broad wellness of the student and their guidance on improving prevention. I want to figure out what is it they really need to violence, any harm done to them, to prevent overdosing, alcohol misuse, and more.”
What are your biggest goals for the upcoming year?
Trying to figure out different ways to cope with the trauma and crisis we all have experienced from the pandemic. I want to think outside the box and bring other aspects of wellness like counselling, mindfulness, meditation, eating, and exercise into the scope. It is important to figure out what we need as a person to really be in a stable place.
How do you anticipate being a resource for all students on campus?
I have a lot of years of experience and a lot of connections and resources outside in the Boston community. I’m a Latina woman and I think a sense of belonging is critical for the student to succeed. I am not a clinician but I love having conversations to try to help people process what they are going through and how I can help connect them. I want to be a resource for accommodations, information, even going for a walk, so they can feel they are heard, validated and they belong.
What do you want students to know about you?
My door is always open. I want to be able to support students to make the best decision for themselves. I am not going to make decisions for anyone or force anyone to do something they don’t want to. This generation of students grew up in a time where they have been more empowered to call out inappropriate behavior with the #MeToo movement, BLM, implicit bias, etc. There is not a lot of data at this time and I am really excited to see the changes we all make.
