“Working on Your Wellness Journal was my number one favorite thing I’ve done so far in college,” said Hannah Drewieck, senior business administration and communication major. “I’m very proud of the work we did and love talking about my role in the project on my resume and in interviews.”
Union College’s fall 2020 editing class used their skills to create a wellness journal in collaboration with AdventHealth’s CREATION Life team. Not only does the journal contain content written by Union students, but also pieces from students at Adventist colleges across the country. However, the 10 students from Union were responsible for the concept, assigning work, line editing, and writing extra content.
“We video chatted with AdventHealth early in the semester and they told us that they wanted a book made up of different writings from all the different Adventist colleges and universities. Then they said everything else was up to us,” said Drewieck, who led the project as managing editor. “As a class, we decided that we wanted it to be a journal that people could interact with and write and draw in.”
“I am thoroughly impressed by the editing that was done,” Joshua Morton, social media manager for CREATION Life, said to the class. “You’re doing a good job. You students are talented for sure.”
Your Wellness Journal is designed to guide readers through each topic in the CREATION acronym — Choice, Rest, Environment, Activity, Trust in God, Interpersonal Relationships, Outlook and Nutrition — and to encourage them to apply the concepts to their own lives. “The journal is intended for high school and college students,” said Drewieck. “It’s meant to encourage overall health and be a resource they can engage with and relate to.”
After the brainstorming was complete, the process of contacting other Adventist colleges in the U.S. began. The Union editing team used friendships and connections they have with other Adventist students to find excellent writers at each college. Every writer was assigned a topic on which to write a short piece. Many students in Union’s editing class also submitted pieces.
As the submissions were collected, the class started the line editing, using skills they learned in class. They were also responsible for creating the sidebars, infographics and journal prompts. These additional materials on each page allow reading the book to be an interactive experience.
“It was a huge project, and our students did an excellent job,” said Lori Peckham, the editing class professor. “They delivered what AdventHealth wanted, and now they have a great portfolio piece they can be proud of.”
Union sophomore Alexia Rains uses Your Wellness Journal to learn more about herself and her health. She said, “I never keep up with journals, but this book really kept me engaged and focused on the content. I appreciate the interactive sections, especially the ones about choices, activity and procrastination. They helped me understand that other college students struggle with the same things I do.”
Your Wellness Journal is available for purchase through the Union College campus bookstore, as well as online at https://shop.creationlife.com/.
Annika Cambigue is a student writer at Union College.
