Health Promotion
Peer Education at DU HCC
Intervene Peer Educators
The Intervene Peer Educators are a select group of students who educate the DU community on gender violence prevention and active bystander skills through outreach, programs, and training. Intervene Intervene Peer Educators receive over 40 hours of professional development training in gender violence and trauma topics, inclusive excellence practice, and effective facilitation.
Intervene Peer Educators facilitate "Intervene: DU," the active bystander trainings for all new, incoming first year students as well as the "Unpacking Gender Violence" training for returning students, in addition to other trainings requested by the DU community at large. The position is a 1 year commitment, with offers typically extended to students who are not graduating (i.e., you can return to this position as a junior, senior, etc).
View the full position description here. Information about applying can be found under the "Interested in Becoming a Peer Educator?" tab below.
Meet the Intervene Peer Educators!
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Alana Rubinsky
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: Psychology; Minor: Marketing
Personal Interests: Outdoors activities in all seasons, dogs, art
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I believe that when you know better you do better. I want to educate people so that they can do the right thing (by intervening!) when faced with challenging situations.
Favorite way to intervene: I really don't want there to be situations where I need to intervene, but when there are and I am present, I try to diffuse the risky situation before it escalates, as quickly and subtly as possible.
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Dyna Arriaga
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Majors: Gender and Women's Studies, Psychology
Personal Interests: Scary movies and boba
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: In class I have been learning about these things that contribute to a culture that perpetuates harm. I joined Peer Intervene to be part of the action and change to end this culture on DU's campus.
Favorite way to intervene: My favorite way to intervene is to open up a dialogue with someone who in the past may not have been exposed to previous opportunities to reflect on their identity and impact.
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Hannah Branit
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: Psychology
Personal Interests: hiking, reading
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I think it is so so important to educate folks on what intervention looks like and to intervene in situations that can be uncomfortable.
Favorite way to intervene: My favorite way to intervene is by example. It's always great seeing my friends step up in situations where I have intervened before.
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Jackson Burow
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: BA/MA candidate in International Studies
Personal Interests: Politics, Sports, Social Justice, Skiing, Hiking, Music
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I think that the Intervene Peer Education program is a great way to help my community challenge dangerous norms and learn about issues that need far more attention.
Favorite way to intervene: Ideally, I would be able to intervene well before anything happens by helping people avoid dangerous situations and identify problematic behavior. However, in the moment, I try to empathize with whoever is involved, and I really enjoy the moment when people realize that either their or someone else's behavior is problematic for themselves.
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John Haddock
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Majors: Political Science, Public Policy; Minors: Leadership Studies, Statistics
Personal Interests: politics, dogs, meditation
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I wanted to help people understand how to help people in their community, and if I can help keep even one person safe, then it's worth it.
Favorite way to intervene: My favorite intervention strategy is to use distractions because that helps diffuse the situation and separates the people involved.
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Libby Cass
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: Molecular Biology
Personal Interests: Reading, Japanese language and culture, food
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I did something very similar in high school and I greatly enjoyed that.
Favorite way to intervene: Just through little daily actions.
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London McGarr
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: Psychology
Personal Interests: True crime documentaries/podcasts, cooking, makeup tutorials
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I wanted to be actively involved in making the DU community a safer place for all students. I believe that a solid education helps a community to work together to ensure that everyone is happy and healthy.
Favorite way to intervene: Staying calm in any situation is key, but intervening in ways that lead by example are the most rewarding. Whether it is showing others how a simple "Are you okay?" can help, or plainly explaining how someone's behavior might be harmful to others, small steps eventually lead to an overall safer campus.
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Megan Morrell
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: Political Science
Personal Interests: Reading, Debate, Environmentalism
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I want to be a part of a team that strengthens the DU community through empowerment and education.
Favorite way to intervene: Creating an open conversation about difficult topics in which everyone feels heard and has an opportunity to learn about problematic behaviors and ideas in a productive way.
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Natalee Rodriguez
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: Accounting
Personal Interests: Snowboarding, embroidery, baking
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I believe everyone should know how they can intervene and should be connected to the resources they have around them on campus.
Favorite way to intervene: Explaining in private to someone how their words or actions could have seemed hurtful or offensive to someone else.
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Wesley Mysinger
Intervene Peer Educator
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience concentration), French
Personal Interests: Making/drinking coffee, working out, cooking, reading research literature
Why I became an Intervene Peer Educator: I feel a personal responsibility to my community to educate people about gender violence and support survivors.
Favorite way to intervene: Remembering that I am using my platform to educate people and hopefully prevent gender violence from the front end is the thing that calms me in group facilitations.
Thrive Peer Health Educators
Thrive Peer Health Educators are a select group of student leaders who promote the health of the DU campus community through inclusive education and engagement. As part of the HCC Health Promotion team, Thrive Peer Health Educators develop programs and implement outreach efforts regarding sexual health, mental health, and alcohol and other drug topics. In addition, Thrive Peer Health Educators serve as HCC ambassadors, as well as liaisons between the DU community and health professionals. This paid position is a 1 year commitment, typically working 30-40 hours per quarter along with a 20 hour mandatory Spring training requirement.
View the full position description here. Information about applying can be found under the "Interested in Becoming a Peer Educator?" tab below.
Meet the Thrive Peer Health Educators!
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Hannah McDonald
Thrive Peer Health Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Majors: Business Analytics and Psychology
Public Health Interests: Healthy food accessibility and nutrition
Personal Interests: Hanging out with family and friends, and being outside – skiing, running, hiking, and traveling
What health means to me: Health means being able to live a happy and balanced life. Meeting your body and mind's needs and taking care of yourself.
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Jill Girardeau
Thrive Peer Health Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: Undeclared
Public Health Interests: Mental health
Personal Interests: Running, hiking, being outside, making art
Why I'm interested in health education: I want people to feel comfortable talking and asking questions about health. It is so important to ourselves and those around us".
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Kendrick Choong
Thrive Peer Health Educator
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: Business Analytics
Public Health Interests: Mental health and physical health
Personal Interests: Weight-lifting, video games, college education
Why I'm interested in health education: If you don't feel well or aren't very happy, you won't perform your best. This is why it's important to be educated on specific topics so that you can make yourself and others healthier.
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Kensey Bishop
Thrive Peer Health Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: Biological Sciences; Minors: Leadership, Spanish, Chemistry
Public Health Interests: Mental health awareness
Personal Interests: Skiing, baking, hiking, running, journaling, spending time with friends and family
What does health mean to you: Health means having the proper resources and access to take care of one's physical and mental states. When 'healthy', we are able to accomplish more and grow into our best selves!
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Naitra Ramchander
Thrive Peer Health Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Majors: Molecular Biology & Psychology; Minors: Chemistry, Leadership, and Gender & Women's Studies
Public Health Interests: Mental health, women's health, sexual health
Personal Interests: Hiking/backpacking, traveling, reading
Why I'm interested in health education: I believe that it is so important for students to be aware of their resources that are available to them and to utilize these resources to better themselves.
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Olivia Gribbon
Thrive Peer Health Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Majors: Spanish, Psychology, & Biology; Minor: Chemistry
Public Health Interests: Sexual health, refugee/asylee/immigrant health
Personal Interests: Skiing, backpacking, traveling to Spanish speaking countries
Why I'm interested in health education: There are so many amazing resources available to students on campus and in the greater Denver area. Health education is a means to bridging the gap between students and the resources available to them. I want to help individuals learn about health and their resources so that they can focus on the other aspects of their lives that matter most to them.
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Sara Loughran
Thrive Peer Health Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Major: International Studies; Minors: English & Spanish
Public Health Interests: Mental health, chronic illness, sexual health, disability
Personal Interests: Writing, Improv, video games, listening to music (k-pop especially), spending time with animals
What does health mean to me: Health means being able to live your life in a way that benefits you positively and allows you to be your best self.
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Victoria Rubio
Thrive Peer Health Educator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Majors: Bio Chemistry; Minors: Psychology, Math, & Medical Physics
Public Health Interests: Mental health
Personal Interests: Skiing & painting
What health means to me: Health means maintaining a balance of life choices for your mind and body in order to feel your best.