Kevin Frisch Keuka College / April 21, 2026
Students explore mental health, relationships, and self-care through immersive experiences during Passport to Wellness Day.
Keuka College students were entertained, challenged, and inspired in both lighthearted and meaningful ways on Wednesday, April 15, during the College’s Passport to Wellness. The daylong initiative highlighted the eight dimensions of wellness through dozens of activities and presentations led by faculty, staff, outside experts, and, in many cases, students themselves.
Sophomore Lizzy Lascari, a unified early childhood education major, staffed the PRIDE Club booth in the Dahlstrom Student Center, where she offered advice on setting healthy boundaries in workplace and personal relationships. Students spun a wheel to land on boundary-challenging scenarios.
“The students have been surprised with how realistic the questions are,” said Lizzy. “They were expecting more upbeat questions, but we tried to make it realistic because this is a really good work–life skill to have.”
Down the hall, Health and Counseling Center Director Kristin Bray invited students to reflect at a display titled “Things I Love About Myself.” Sticky notes filled the board with affirmations such as “I love my creativity,” “I love my positive outlook on life,” and “I love my hair.”
Nearby, first-year student Sam Teeter, a unified childhood special education major from Webster, N.Y., received a temporary butterfly tattoo at a body-positivity booth station from Mental Health Counselor Brandi Sears. The tattoos, Brandi said, symbolized kindness to one’s body and a rejection of self-harm and negative thoughts. Other displays encouraged students to rethink labels and embrace natural appearances.
In the Hawkins Lounge, students explored additional resources, including a booth hosted by the Penn Yan–based Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency (FLACRA). Its peer-led Connections project featured an interactive “Tree of Hope,” where students painted leaves representing personal challenges such as loneliness, substance use, and self-harm.
The day also featured a keynote address by author and speaker Dallin Cooper, who encouraged students to examine their assumptions when navigating difficult personal or workplace relationships.
“Dallin Cooper’s keynote challenged our community to examine the assumptions we all carry into our relationships,” said Associate Vice President for Experiential Education & Wellness Dr. Carrie Roberts, a Passport to Wellness organizer. “His message reinforced that effective communication is not just a workplace skill, but a vital component of personal wellness and community belonging.”
The day concluded with the Dr. BettyLou Koffel ’74 Film Series screening of the documentary “Baseball Behind Barbed Wire.” The film which highlighted the role baseball played in helping Japanese Americans interned in the U.S. during World War II to maintain a sense of community and dignity, was followed by a Q&A with the director.
Now in its fourth year, the once-a-semester Passport to Wellness continues to grow in breadth and participation. President Amy Storey recently announced that future Passport to Wellness days will be fully dedicated to wellness programming.
Photo: Nationally known author and speaker Dallin Cooper gave a lively keynote address focused on challenging audience members to rethink how they approach disagreement, conflict, and understanding others.
