Peer Specialists are ‘Happy to Talk’ about the Wellness Center

By: Reanna Sturgill

“Happy To Talk” is a social hour created by Wright College’s peer specialists. The social hour is a safe place for students to talk about anything on their mind to trained peer specialists.

Peer specialists are Wright students whose main goal is to connect their peers to resources at the Wellness Center.

Peer specialist Brandon Barroso said they are “basically a mental health advocate and [they are] trying to destigmatize mental health in general.” Peer specialists aim to “Help others with their journey to wellbeing,” said Barosso.

Happy To Talk started in the fall 2024 semester. Peer Specialist Supervisor Mariana Flores said, “It was created to have them engage with the students more one-on-one.” 

The social hour began in the science building cafeteria and has now broadened to the engineering center this semester. Flores said this is because “one of our peers is part of the engineering program, so he’s very aware that also the engineering department is not as aware of the services.” 

Flores said they are working to make the Wellness Center more welcoming through the peer specialists, though the main goal is to “promote the services that we have.”

Barroso said, “Happy to Talk social hour is very much a place where individuals who are not having a good day, or having a great day, or just someone who wants to practice their social skills can come and talk to the peer specialists.”

Barroso added, “It’s also a place where we offer resources because Peer Specialists are a bridge to the Wellness Center. So if people want resources, they can come to us.”

Flores said, “It can be different to hear it from someone who is a counselor or a professor or a person who is an authority in their life. The research shows that having peers kind of communicate that to other peers is more helpful.”

The Peer Specialists have received training for “how to speak, how to approach different situations, how to just speak to other students in a more, let’s say, careful way because you don’t want anyone to be hurt,” said Barroso.

Barroso and Peer Specialist Naomi Goldstein joined after seeing a flyer advertising the job around campus. 

Peer Specialist Brandan Barroso, Peer Specialist Domenica Garrion, nursing major Julia Rodriguez, GED student LAtoyita Oliver, and Peer Specialist Raven Orihuela talking at ‘Happy To Talk’ table in the cafeteria. (Photo Credit: Reanna Sturgill)

Barroso said, “If there wasn’t a need for anything, I wouldn’t do my job. But since there’s a need to destigmatize mental health, since there’s a need to get the resources out there, since there’s a need to have destress events for people– make people feel comfortable, safe, happy, then I’mma do it.”

The Peer Specialists often have coloring sheets that they leave out for students. Goldstein says it helps students to destress. 

Barroso adds that he hopes to add more to the social hour, like a snack pantry. The idea would be that students could get snacks after learning about the Wellness Center. 

Barroso said, “A lot of students here don’t even know what the Wellness Center is or what it does and us as Peer Specialists are just trying to change that and give information out as much as we can.”

Happy To Talk is one of the many events the Peer Specialists do. Flores says that “Peer Specialists plan their own events and talk about mental health for mental health awareness to create a community with that student.” 

The Peer Specialists have hosted a Valentine’s Day Vision Board event, destress events, and created self-care jars. Barroso said, “It’s really fun. Hopefully we can do an Earth Day event. But all of our events are aimed toward destressing.”

The number of student participants per day varies from one to 30. “It just kind of depends on the day,” Goldstein said. 

Since the start of Peer Specialists, the Wellness Center has seen an increase in students taking advantage of their services. Flores said, “We have noticed that sometimes, for example, if Happy To Talk can’t take place, if there’s not enough peers available, sometimes students will come to the Wellness Center and ask about Happy to Talk and see if it’s happening.” 

Barroso said, “Happy to Talk is somewhere you can vent, laugh, cry, and be safe in your own individualism.”