Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
July 13, 2022
San Diego, CA – In Fall of 2022, San Diego Mesa College will offer California's first ever community college-based Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate Program with approval by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). The National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coaching exam is the gold standard certification in health and wellness coaching and is offered by the Board of Medical Examiners.
“We are very excited to offer the first Board-approved community college based program in California,” stated Dr. Isabel O’Connor, Vice President of Instruction at Mesa College. “Students who complete this certificate will be able to develop motivational skills and understand behavioral theories that will help their clients manage stress, nutrition, and other activities.”
The Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate Program at Mesa prepares students to help others improve their health through interventions related to clients’ stress, nutrition, physical activity, and other health behaviors. As a program offered at a local community college, this program will reduce access and equity gaps related to health and wellness coaching credentialing programs. Many current programs are offered by four-year or private institutions, making them unaffordable for many who wish to enter the field. At $46 a unit, this 19-unit program will save California community college students thousands of dollars on quality health and wellness coaching-related training. This program is open and beneficial to both new students, and students looking to return to college and further their education.
The NBHWC is currently partnering with the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) on a project to collect data to support application to the American Medical Association (AMA) for approval of health and wellness coaching services for Category I CPT Codes. This would allow health and wellness coaching to become an insurance-reimbursable expense, potentially increasing the need for educated and certified health and wellness coaches in the medical sector. For more on this partnership, see here.
To learn more about the program, visit the Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate Program web page or contact Kelsey Graham at kgraham@sdccd.edu.
About San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Mesa College is a fully accredited, comprehensive college committed to equity and excellence. We honor our diverse community of students, faculty, professional staff, and administrators who collaborate to foster scholarship, leadership, access, and innovation in an inclusive learning environment. By promoting student learning and achievement that leads to degrees and certificates, transfer, workforce training, and lifelong learning, we empower our students to reach their educational goals and shape their future. Among the largest community colleges in California, Mesa serves 25,000 students per year, 25% of whom are full-time. Mesa offers nearly 200 associate degree and certificate programs and is one of 15 California community colleges offering a four-year baccalaureate degree. Mesa ranks as San Diego’s top transfer institution, is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and a Military Friendly School, serving nearly 2,500 veterans and their families. www.sdmesa.edu.
Find San Diego Mesa College on Social Media:
Facebook.com: sandiegomesacollege
Twitter.com: sdmesacollege
Instagram.com: sdmesacollege
Youtube: youtube.com: sdmesacollege
Snapchat: sdmesacollege
LinkedIn: San Diego Mesa College
Find Mesa College President Dr. Ashanti T. Hands on Social Media
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PrezHands
Twitter: www.twitter.com/prezhands
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ashanti-hands-ed-d-209a75a/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/prezhands
Tags: Academic Programs, Health and Wellness Coaching, Exercise Science
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
Kelsey Graham
Program Director
kgraham@sdccd.edu
San Diego - On Sunday, September 18, 2022, San Diego Mesa College Athletic Trainer, Yuki Matsuzawa, along with two students and a coach, helped save the life of a 66 year old athlete, who collapsed on field after his event during the annual Senior Games Track Meet held on campus at Merrill Douglas Stadium.
San Diego, CA – In Fall of 2022, San Diego Mesa College will offer California's first ever community college-based Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate Program with approval by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). The National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coaching exam is the gold standard certification in health and wellness coaching and is offered by the Board of Medical Examiners.
Each year at the STAR (STudent Athlete Recognition) Awards Ceremony, a special award is reserved for a student-athlete who embodies the Olympian experience by demonstrating scholastic and athletic excellence, leadership, community involvement, inspiration, and team spirit. Samantha Schmidt, a sophomore and swimmer at Mesa College, was awarded the 2018 Super Star Award for her dedication to - and passion for - her academics and sports lifestyle.
