Meet Your New Graduate Center Wellness Team Member — And Help Shape What Comes Next
Photo Credit: Anesu Samuel Masango
Hi, I'm Anesu Samuel Masango the new Graduate Assistant for Wellness Projects and Special Initiatives at the Graduate Center. I am a Medical Doctor currently in my 4th year in the Clinical Translational Sciences Ph.D. program. I am passionate about health promotion and would like to see the graduate student community thrive! This year, I'm focused on one goal: making sure the Graduate Center's wellness support matches what graduate students need. The only way to do that well is to start by listening.
Let me tell you some of what I have experienced. Not long ago, I was involved in a group much like the one we are starting. We had team building activities, we networked professionally and socially and became like a family! What stuck with me the most was how the group became such a safe space that we all opened up and were vulnerable about what is affecting us in our daily lives. Tears were shed, hugs were given, and, importantly, advice and impactful support made great changes in our lives.
I walked in there thinking I am good only to find out how burnout I was. All the research, coursework, and publication and grant rejections had subtly been impacting me. But I left each time feeling recharged and ready to face whatever was thrown at me. I could thrive! And that is what I want for you too.
That's why we're launching We're Listening. Let's Talk. — three informal sessions this fall where graduate students can become a community and share what's actually going on: what's hard, what's helping, and what you wish existed. There's nothing to prepare and no agenda to sit through — just refreshments, an icebreaker, and an honest conversation, with fellow students. In some sessions we might have a counselor from Counseling & Psych Services (CAPS) on hand to guide us in a space where you can speak openly. Each session builds on the last, and everything we hear directly shapes the wellness programming we build for Spring 2027 and beyond. This isn't a listening exercise for its own sake — it's the blueprint. Come and make an impact for your own wellness journey and those that come after you!
Sessions run September 16, October 7, and November 4 from 4 PM to 5 PM at the Graduate Center. Come to one, come to all three — every voice adds to the picture, and we'd love to hear yours.
In the meantime, there are resources ready when you need them: CAPS for counseling support, Campus Health for medical care, the Campus Pantry for food security, Studio 91 for movement and mindfulness, our own financial wellness programming as well as CashCourse and 3rd Decade coaching, and the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) for student representation and wellness support. You can find all of it on the Graduate Center Wellness page.
We're just getting started — and we'd love for you to be part of building what comes next. Sign up on the event page and invite a friend or colleague.