Celebrating Connection and Community: Highlights from the Wellness Ambassadors Appreciation Event

We had a great time at the Wellness Ambassadors Appreciation event!

The in-person event was held on April 16 at the University of Arizona Campus Agricultural Center. The Center boasted a lovely outdoor space full of animals and greenery. One Ambassador said, “I am excited to visit the retail store at the Food Product & Safety Laboratory and Churro the Burro!” Another Ambassador said, “If it hadn’t been so windy, she would’ve loved to play horseshoes!” The Agricultural Center is a wonderful place to visit, and the staff was outstanding.

Those who attended enjoyed the Wellness Ambassadors Appreciation Event. Amy Lucero said, “The event was a welcome surprise, full of fun! I really enjoyed spending time outside and learning all about this part of the U of A! It was fun to meet other Wellness Ambassadors and to hear more about our ambassador journey.  I felt more connected to the program after attending the appreciation event.”

The speaker for the event was Laqwanda Roberts-Buckley, who discussed Maintaining Your Journey as a Wellness Ambassador. She addressed the highs and lows of serving in this role and emphasized that you have support and each other. As a final activity, she had everyone write a detailed thank-you note and exchange it with a colleague they did not know.  Many reported that this was a particularly impactful activity. Virginia Ellis said, “Our Wellness Appreciation meeting was awesome! I felt such a positive vibe while I was there. It was such a great experience.”  

A raffle with prizes valued between $15 and $500 was drawn. A big thank you to our gracious donors who donated raffle prizes, the venue, pizza, and water. 

Many attendees expressed excitement over meeting other Wellness Ambassadors through the BINGO game. This game brought Wellness Ambassadors together to introduce themselves and get to know each other.  

The event ended with an informative walking tour led by the Campus Agricultural Center Staff.

Afterwards, many attended the farmers market at Tucson Village Farms.  “I look forward to the end-of-year appreciation event as a way to not only celebrate our achievements, but also to celebrate each other”, said Tina Douglas       

 Thank you to the Wellness Ambassador Committee: Jennifer Fischas, Taylor Grogg, Sammy Millan, Milena Starobinskaya and Laura Teso as well as the Life and Work Connections staff.