I Feel You, A Fortify Wellness Production
Bettina Mahoney the Founder/CEO of @atfortifywellness is a rape survivor who started her brand after struggling to not only find a therapist, but multiple mediums to heal through her trauma. Fortify Wellness is a 360 holistic platform offering therapy, coaching, fitness, and meditation on one subscription platform. We dive deep with our trailblazing guests about overcoming adversity.
I Feel You, A Fortify Wellness Production
Balancing College Life: What Today’s Students Actually Need
Ava Hoffman, a psychology major at Kenyon College, trained mediator, and social media intern at Fortify Wellness, shares insights about campus wellness resources and what today's college students need for sustainable mental health.
• Small colleges offer valuable one-on-one interactions with professors and discussion-based learning environments
• Campus mental health services typically have limited hours (8-4, M-F), creating significant access barriers during evenings and weekends
• Trust issues exist between students and on-campus therapists, making many hesitant to use available services
• Sorority life teaches valuable collaboration skills and includes meaningful philanthropy work often overlooked in stereotypes
• Gen Z is actively destigmatizing mental health conversations compared to previous generations
• Simple wellness practices like social interaction, outdoor walks, brief meditations, and organizational planning help maintain balance
• Campus physical accessibility remains a major concern, particularly at historic institutions with older infrastructure
• 24/7 mental health resources that maintain confidentiality would address a significant need for college students
• Technology solutions like telehealth can help bridge accessibility gaps when designed with student input
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**This information is not to be misconstrued as medical or psychological advice. Please contact your medical team if you have questions or concerns pertaining to your medical or psychological well-being. All of the linked products are independently selected, and curated by the fab Fortify team. If you love and buy something we link to, we may earn a commission.**
You're listening to the Fortify Wellness Podcast. I'm Bettina, founder and survivor, and this season.
Speaker 2:We're not holding back.
Speaker 1:This is for anyone who's been through the fire sat in the dark, questioned everything and still chose to get up. We talk healing that hits mind, body and soul raw stories, expert gems and the real stuff that helps you rebuild. Just so you know this podcast isn't therapy or medical advice.
Speaker 2:It's real talk, lived experience and tools to help you find your way back.
Speaker 1:Season eight starts now. Subscribe, lock in and let's get fortified.
Speaker 2:I am so excited to welcome Ava Hoffman, who is a rising junior at Kenyon College. She's a psychology major and a trained mediator and she is the content creation and outreach intern here at Fortify Wellness. And I am so excited for you to hear this episode because I think it's so important for companies to listen to this next generation. They have so much passion, so much grit, so much bravery and so much self-awareness and in this episode, I think you'll really enjoy listening to Ava's take on wellness on college campuses and, of course, you know what she has on campus that is helpful and what she would like to see more of.
Speaker 2:We're so excited to bring Fortify Wellness to college campuses to help the next generation of strong individuals live their best life, live a sustainable life, manage adversity. It will come their way and we believe here at Fortify that when you have the tools, it can set you up for success and to live a sustainable and a fulfilled life. I remember what it felt like for me to survive a trauma while on campus and not know where to turn to or how to get help, so we're so excited for this. Thank you for listening. So we're so excited for this.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening and I hope you feel inspired by this brave new voice? Hi, ava, I'm so excited to have you today.
Speaker 2:How are you doing?
Speaker 3:I'm good. Thank you for having me. I'm having a really nice day.
Speaker 2:You are such a star intern. I keep telling that to everyone that I come across in the founder world, everyone that I come across and the founder world and just everyone that I talk to about summer interns, because so many small businesses have them this summer and I have the pleasure of having someone that is so detail-oriented, so passionate, so smart and so creative. So thank you for joining me this summer.
Speaker 3:Thank you. I appreciate that I've been having a really great time working here at Fortify this summer. I'm I appreciate that I've been having a really great time working here at Fortify this summer.
Speaker 2:I'm so happy about that, okay, so I'm so excited to have you because, you know, we are all about Gen Z, all about the next generation, all about helping college-age students live their best lives. So I thought we'd start with like some quick fire questions to get us started. What is your go-to campus meal or snack when you're feeling stressed?
Speaker 3:At Kenyon there's a place called Wiggins Creek Coffee and they have. It's really good. It's a breakfast burrito, it's actually vegetarian and it's like very small, so it's a perfect snack size. So I love having that and I probably have it at least a few times a week.
Speaker 2:I love that, and what is one word to describe sorority life for you?
Speaker 3:I would say I think, with all sororities collaborative, it's a very big thing. So working with other people to plan events, to plan rush events, to be social with other people and I think that's something that's so important just with all sororities in general, is just to work with other people and make sure that there's strong communication.
Speaker 2:I think you're a great communicator. So what's your pre-class ritual? You swear by but maybe can't explain.
Speaker 3:I love listening to music on my walk to class in the morning. I can't really explain it it, but I would say it's more of like a wake-up thing. But I always like, as long as I have more than a few minutes, I'll like put something on that's like very energetic and upbeat. I'll listen to that on my way to my first class and it it seems to help a lot.
Speaker 2:Are you a swifty?
Speaker 3:absolutely yes, she was, I think, my second artist on Spotify last year. Oh, I love that she was my next.
Speaker 2:Are you in a specific era?
Speaker 3:um, I've been listening to a lot of like folk more um ever more lately, but I really just I've been loving everything.
Speaker 2:I love that album as well. So what is your self-care ritual? This could be be just going on a walk. You know TikTok scrolling. What is your go to? You know your self-care ritual.
Speaker 3:I mean I love like just listening to some music. I love doing like little short meditations, so sometimes I'll do those if I need a break or, like if I'm studying a lot, I'll sometimes especially in finals we could go on a little walk around campus, because my college is so beautiful that it's just nice to be outside, especially in a spring semester when it's like perfect weather so I love that.
Speaker 2:So a big segue I also love going for walks. I also went to a small college. How did you end up choosing your school and was it expected for you?
Speaker 3:Well, kenyon was something I didn't know too much about during the process. I was not super set on where to go and I had, you know, I'd heard of it and I'd applied to it and it seemed really nice. But until I got in I hadn't actually looked a lot into what the school was about. But the more I did, the more almost excited I got. And then I visited in April. It was like an absolutely perfect weather day, which you know doesn't mean a lot, but it kind of, I think it helped because it's a really beautiful campus and so like, picture everything I pictured in the college which I thought was really helpful, or dining halls, especially halls, especially beautiful, kind of looks like everyone says it's like Hogwarts, which I definitely agree. And yeah, it had everything I was looking for in a school which I did not, I wasn't super aware of. It had a really great psychology program and I'm very happy with it, having been a part of the program for almost two years now and I think everyone's been so great and the professors are really friendly and accommodating. And something that stuck out to me that I hadn't noticed at a lot of other places was that Kenyon is all. The students are so welcoming and happy to talk, like. When I sat in on a class, which I did in every single school.
Speaker 3:In this one I had a really almost different experience because the students went out of their way and one student in particular actually, like nature, is really included in all the conversations and discussions they were having, which is not experience I had when touring other schools.
Speaker 3:So I really felt included and welcomed and that was a very big deciding factor for me. And one little fun thing is I actually met the student and we ended up being in the same sorority. Um, um, the student that had like introduced me and like was super friendly to me. She unfortunately has already graduated, but that was just a really nice little full circle moment. But I think that was the moment I knew that Kenyon was the right place for me. Um, in terms of what I expected, I'd say it's pretty like it actually has been pretty accurate, like just always little things that you know don't really realize when you're on tour, but still been, you know, just as beautiful. And every time I'm there I've never really gotten tired of looking at all the different like buildings and sites. But overall it's been a really great experience.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love that. And how do you think being in a smaller school versus a larger school has shaped your experience as a student, as a sorority member, as an up-and-coming professional? How does that shape you yeah?
Speaker 3:I think that being at a smaller school is something that's extremely valuable and many, many people can benefit from. I found that I get so many personal connections. I get to work one-on-one directly with professors, which I know is something that students at a larger school might not typically get. But, yeah, I have really great relationships with a lot of my professors and I'll sometimes just go their office hours and talk about my life instead of like academic things, which I always love doing, because they're always so friendly and welcoming. I have a few in particular that I'm very close with which I, of course, appreciate a lot.
Speaker 3:Um, I think it's definitely been valuable for quite a few reasons.
Speaker 3:I would say say, yeah, I think that classes they're more discussion-based compared to just lecture style, which is, I think, more effective for learning Like.
Speaker 3:Obviously, everyone overall learns differently, but I believe that discussion-based forces more like almost interaction, which forces you to engage with the material in a way that maybe just being lectured at might, which force you to engage with the material in a way that maybe just being lectured at might not cause you to do so. I think that that's something that's super valuable and I've been getting to learn like hands on with people who are like experts in their field and in terms of also just other opportunities. Like Kenyans, I'm very close in the community, like, even if I don't know someone, I know almost every face on campus because of the community of 2000, like the people who I see every day when I walk into class and that's. I see a large population, the student body, and I think that also creates for a really unique experience. And then, like, academically, there's so many more opportunities that I get as an undergraduate that people at a larger university might not be able to receive until grad school, and I think that's something that's really valuable about a liberal arts college.
Speaker 2:I love that and so I'm curious why did you choose psych as a major? Was there like a pivotal moment in your life? Because I had psychology as a major as well and it was more so I was like very curious about the human experience and why people think the way that they do. So was there like a pivotal moment or an adversity or just a curiosity to make you choose that major and how did you get into?
Speaker 3:it. I mean I've always loved like the human element of psych and like working with other people. It's been something that's fascinated me for a long time. In high school I took a lot of psych classes. I took like intro psych and then I took like AP psych and like just a ton of experience in the field and it's always been something that's been really interesting to me, like even reading research projects and all like research, some of which are very unethical. I've always found that so fascinating and just like the ethics behind psychology and why people do the things they do.
Speaker 3:And in terms of like majoring in psychology, I honestly wasn't and still not entirely sure what I wanted to do. But psych seems like a really good fit because there it's valuable for literally every single space. I feel like who doesn't need like to know about the human experience and why people work the way they do and think the way they do, both socially and physically? So I like that it combines kind of a science element and a more humanities element and I think that it's just a really unique discipline and that's something that I personally appreciate a lot.
Speaker 2:And do you think it brought a different perspective when dealing with people, whether it's in interpersonal relationships or, you know, on a professional level, to kind of have empathy? For me, understanding why people do what they do has given me a lot of like groundedness and empathy. Especially building a wellness app, you kind of have an understanding that people come from different lived experiences. So it kind of shifted the way that you view the world. I know that you're also a trained mediator, which makes so much sense.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3:I think that thinking of people's actions and context has been a really valuable thing, because sometimes people, you know, do things that maybe aren't the kindest when they think about it, but you never know, like, like what's going on in their lives or like what kind of complications they have that might have caused that action or caused a certain behavior.
Speaker 3:And I think psychology has really allowed me to consider, you know, why people think that way and that's, you know, helped me have stronger friendships and, you know, communicate with people better. And the mediation as well, which, yeah, I am a trained mediator through the Dayton Mediator Center, which was a really valuable experience and I do that on campus as well. But, yeah, I think that that's allowed me to, you know, be a better listener and be able to like listen to people and communicate with them better on a level that you know feels like a stronger conversation overall, and I think that's really important just to make sure that you're listening to people, because people, you know, when their voices feel heard, they feel more comfortable and it's just a better overall experience that creates less tension. I think that's always a valuable thing to have in the workplace is strong communication.
Speaker 2:I agree a hundred percent. So what's something that you feel like Soberity, life has taught you about yourself and your interpersonal relationships?
Speaker 3:I think that it's taught me you know a lot about what it's like to work with other people who have, you know, different conflicts and completely different lives. Because obviously, back when I was, you know, a high school student, I was still like on leadership boards and organizing things, but you know everyone had the same. Was, you know, a high school student? I was still like on leadership boards and organizing things, but you know everyone had the same schedule essentially. You know, like some people had sports teams or after school clubs, but everyone was on the same like eight to three schedule with maybe another activity. So it was certain everyone had like three periods during the day that were the same for a lot of the orgs I was in. So that was, you know, fairly easy to plan. And now you have to navigate, like so many things on a higher level. Like everyone has different class schedules, some people work jobs, some people don't, some people have clubs at like random hours of the night. So you have to plan around all those things and be very accommodating. And communication has been so strong because it's one of the first times being in a national organization which is completely different from just a high school club, because you have to make sure that you're following, like, all the rules of the national organization which are, you know, those are usually like great things, they're not too difficult to maintain connections with, they're very wonderful people over at nationals, but I think that it's so important to just have that connection and make and learning how to find that balance is a really new experience for me.
Speaker 3:So it's been a lot of collaboration with the other members who are on exec in my sorority as well as people who are newly joining. They're having a good experience and it's the first org I've been that has a proper recruitment where you have to want people to join and people have to want to join back. So that's a very new situation as well. So you have to always think about like public presentation and there's so many skills involved in sorority life people don't really consider.
Speaker 3:I think sorority life, also at a smaller school like mine, is very different from like the typical what you think of when you think of Greek life. So I think that's been a really interesting experience overall Because, like at a big school, there's like maybe a lot more focus on like parties maybe and you know, like the recruitment's very over the top here it's much more casual and I'd say like friendly and approachable, like anyone can do it, and it's not as strenuous a process. So I think that's really valuable and we get probably a very different sort of people than you would at a larger school with a more intense and stressful rush.
Speaker 2:What do you think is a misconception about sorority life?
Speaker 3:I think people think it's very focused only on the social element and a lot of people don't seem to understand or know much about the philanthropy elements. Like every sorority has a national organization or national like sorry to say partner with my sorority, alpha, sigma, tau, partners with Girls who Code and Dress for Success. So we do a lot of initiatives like through that and our big overall like goal is women's wellness. So we do a lot of like helping other women we have. We're working on starting up a program at the elementary school of Girls who code and we do some a couple fundraisers for them a year through like different or things on campus. And I think that's something that's so important to think about is sorority life isn't just about social element. It's about getting back to the larger community, both like your local community and like a national community, and I think that's just a really valuable thing that people might not see or might not be like as publicized in like media portrayals of sorority or Greek life.
Speaker 2:I love that and I'm really obviously passionate about mental health, yes, and passionate about accessibility on campus. And what resources do you have that has helped you throughout your years on campus?
Speaker 3:And what do you think you know young people need more of? I mean, I think at Kenyon there are so many people that are very open and able to talk to. There obviously are people who are mandated reporters and people who are not. There's always like that dynamic there Like you can't just go out of your way and like talk to professor. But there are confidential resources on campus that I know of. There's the health center where there are a few therapists and I think one psychologist and one psychiatrist and as well as like chaplains and other like non-medical professional confidential resources. So I think those are really valuable things for people on campus to have.
Speaker 3:There's, you know, probably not as many as people need, honestly, and I don't know like how trusted all the resources are that we have, but I know there are like a variety of resources all the way from you know, like the chaplains to like the therapists, also to like professors, and there's like a few medical campus safety.
Speaker 3:It's like a medical team and they, you know, have the ability to like help you.
Speaker 3:I don't know how like trusted they are, because I'll see a stigma around like campus safety on most, on most college campuses, and there's like a lot of variety and you know who are you going to get on that, which I think can be an issue for many students here at Kenyon, or at any school really, when seeking help or looking out like for who can help me at like this hour of the night.
Speaker 3:I think that an issue on at least at my school. I'm not sure if this is a bigger school issue, but at my school the health center has really limited hours. It's, I think it's like eight or nine to like four, um Monday to Friday, and that's really it, and then after that if you need like help of any sort, you gotta either call campus safety or get yourself to the nearest ER doctor, which is not accessible if you don't have a car, and even public transportation's an issue. So I know that I think that's a big issue at many schools. It's like having access to 24 hour like a person who can help you and not. So I think that's a big issue at many schools is like having access to 24 hour like a person who can help you, and so I think that's something that really needs improvement, at least in my school, and I'm sure it's the same with a lot of other schools.
Speaker 2:So do you think that there is stigma on campus as far as asking for help, especially since it's you know it's less anonymous? You have to go into a wellness center to get support. I know that's how it was at my small college. Yeah, a wellness center and there is two or three therapists serving any type of like stigma or people feeling uncomfortable seeking help.
Speaker 3:I think that it definitely depends from person to department. I know that I know a lot about the accommodations process and like that kind of process on campus. I know that it's always saying is it depends on what professor you're going to get like, how they're going to react and how helpful they're going to be. Like some people person could be so helpful and others could be like very dismissive. I think this is much of an issue for everyone. I think that this could be a potential conflict is the mental health center is right above the physical like wellness center and some people might take issue with that just because there's someone who might not want to have a conversation with like someone on campus or like might not want every person to know like they're just they're like a very it's in a very like public space on campus.
Speaker 3:I haven't personally worked with any of the mental health professionals on campus.
Speaker 3:I know I've heard like mixed things about how helpful they've been, so I don't know how in use they are, but I think there's always going to be like some struggle with going to someone who's on campus Like even if they are like explicitly a confidential reporter, like even if they are like explicitly a confidential reporter, like when you still have worked and paid for by the institution you're attending.
Speaker 3:There's still always going to be like that little like worry or fear at least in my opinion when going to them of like how confidential is this really? So I think that's saying that like with like a direct, like professional, through the college, that's always like going to be an issue. I don't think there's a ton of stigma, at least at like liberal arts school. This might be different at like a larger school, but at least in my school I don't really think there's much stigma around like seeking help for mental health. I think it's something that's very valuable. Just with my generation in general, I think that from what I've seen, mental health is much easier. It's much easier to talk about mental health than it is in previous generations, like it still very much depends on you know what community you're in or like who you're talking to. But all in all, I think that that's a really great change that I've seen and read about happening.
Speaker 2:Interesting. Yeah, I remember you telling me about feeling like the student body, or some of the student body, didn't necessarily trust the therapist. You know, and trust is everything. How did the trust break? Because trust in therapy and mental health is so important. So how did it break? And then is there an opportunity to bridge that, to create the trust back again.
Speaker 3:I'm not sure. I think it's been an issue since before I've been here, because every time I've been curious about it or asked I've usually just gotten the response of oh, this one's not great, or this one's not great, or like oh yeah, people don't really like go to them for whatever reason. Or I think they're more seen as like, as like someone who's there. But also there's always the issue of like can you see this person full time? Can you see this person full-time? Like if they're like someone who's only on college campus and can't do like virtual visits as well, like, or they're only like through your college and they can't be continued with after? Like how valuable is that going to be If it's someone you can just see for those like four years that you're on campus and that's really it? I think that's always. That's definitely an issue.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the trust I think think has been like a longstanding issue from what I've heard, because I haven't really seen like there be any one instance. I know they do send out like offers and suggestions about like new services, sometimes Like they do have like a thing now where you can like text the nurse, which is always very valuable to have that access to. But and I think they are trying, but I think that they need there hasn't been any like major efforts to like really break the chain, like make a change with students around campus to have them have that support that they feel like everyone needs.
Speaker 2:So it sounds like there's few therapists, more students. So, in terms of students balancing school and social life and well-being, you know what is something that they're turning to for support. Do they have support on campus, what's like a majority of what people are doing to kind of build that balance and that structure?
Speaker 3:um, yeah, I think there are. There's something called like the peer health educators, which are a really good group on campus and I know a few people on it and they host a lot of like wellness centered events and like mindfulness events, and I think a lot of orgs tend to do that, which is a great way of support. That's kind of a mix of college-led things and student-led things. Like another org I'm in, it's called social board, we have therapy dogs come in sometimes. So there are like small scale, like one-off events that happen. I don't know if there are many like frequent resources for a large group of students like every week, but I know there are like one-off events, especially around like finals and more stressful times, where you can go in and like these are all free, obviously, and just like social things that you can do to like take your mind up all the stresses. So I think there are like student-led initiatives in place that do really make a difference and I've attended a couple of them and I've always had a really great time.
Speaker 2:What do you do on a day-to-day basis to build the balance, especially during stressful times, to feel like you're able to pull out the tools, to feel sustainable throughout the year and even during the summer?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I always try and be, you know, somewhat social whenever possible. Like during finals week it's obviously a bit tougher, but if I can, I'll try and see friends for something during the day, whether it's like a meal or just like a walk around campus, or I'll make sure I have like some like solid conversation. You know, even if it's a really busy day, I'll make sure to prioritize that. I think social interaction is really vital, at least for me. So I always appreciate that, and whether it's even just as little as going to a club for like a half hour and having a short conversation on like a path on campus, if it's a really busy day, I will always try and do that and then we can feel a little more easy to prioritize that.
Speaker 3:Um, I love going on walks again around my campus. As long as the weather's like not horrible, it's a really beautiful place to walk around and get some fresh air. So I always try and make sure I'm like doing some sort of walk or going outside and being social in that sense every single day. I think that's important. And then I have like someone who I work with, that's like an organizational person on campus, so she helped me like keep track of my schedule. I think that's something that everyone honestly should have if they can. So I find that so valuable.
Speaker 3:Just like taking the time for a few minutes like 10 minutes every week just to talk through what I have for the week and like write it down in the calendar. I 10 minutes every week just to talk through what I have for the week and like write it down in the calendar. I think that's something that really helps me a lot. I'm just keeping track of all everything I have to do for the week, because in college is so much more independent where you have to like keep track of your own assignments and you know, of course you're going to get reminders. But I find that that's something that's so valuable is making sure that I take like a time and go through everything I need to do for the week.
Speaker 2:And when life can feel overwhelming, what's your balance? What's the first thing you do to reset?
Speaker 3:I always love, again, listening to music or doing like a little meditation.
Speaker 3:Like I find like these little, like one or two minute meditations on YouTube that I love like looking at and I'm like this is going to like calm me down, like reset my breathing, and then, like that usually is calming music I love like looking at and I'm like this is gonna like calm me down, like reset my breathing, and then, like that usually is calming music.
Speaker 3:I have like a little meditation music playlist that I love doing if I need just a minute, because music is great science but like not every music is the most like calming. So I have a little like calm, like instrumental playlists that I love going to. I need that. I think something that's just so valuable is like making sure I know when to reset and having like a resource in place. I like doing like little exercise, like I love doing like dance in my dorm room or like maybe a little yoga pose or two if I can, but that's something that I think is really important, Just like knowing when to take a break and having like knowing what I will do if I feel overwhelmed or stressed out.
Speaker 2:I agree, I like movement as well. When I was in college I'd wake up at 5 am, go with the train for an hour and then go to my 8 am ballet class and then run my psychology class and run back to a dance class, and I've noticed that part of my life of movement has traveled with me.
Speaker 2:I like to go for walks, I like being in nature, just like you. It's a nice reset, a nice balance. I like to listen to music, I like to listen to podcasts. I like to learn something. I also really love being someone that can just help others feel balanced and feel calm, because the world can be very overwhelming, and so the control that I've learned that I have is how I treat myself and how I treat other people around me, and I think it's something that I wish the younger version of myself knew is that, like I think, when you're in college, you think you get very not you specifically just college students get very pressured from the world of like, what are you going to do next? What's the next thing?
Speaker 2:And I think there's something to building a really strong tool system in place to be able to handle when life gets stressful, when there's turbulence, there'll be turbulence, and so I've noticed with you, you're able to just adjust and you have tools that you can bring out when you're feeling stressed or when you're feeling like you need to understand something. You're great at asking questions, which I really love, and you're a curious person, and that's the cool thing about bringing on different people onto this podcast is everyone from, like Paul English, who started Kayak, to Bershon, like, everyone's curious and everyone asks questions and they're ready to ask for help, and that's such an important characteristic to have that you have. That is really quick, yeah, and I think I learned so much from you too. That's the coolest part about I think having interns is like you learn so much from other people around you as well the generations you know behind you. So what do you think? There's something, what's something you wish older generations knew about your generation or college age students. That, you think is maybe a misconception.
Speaker 3:I feel like we're not as almost lazy, I want to say, as people seem to perceive us as Like. I think my generation, something that's been like so overwhelming and like a presence, especially that of like transition to high school or college is the presence of AI, of presence, especially that I've like transitioned to high school or college is the presence of AI, and I feel like that kind of can go along sometimes with like a lack of like implied creativity on our end, and I think I disagree with that completely. I think that our generation is, you know, really tech savvy, but we know how to use resources in a way that, you know, maybe generations like haven't explored yet, because we're still learning and growing. So I think it's something that's going to be so pivotal for future generations that our generation is going to be able to work with on a really high level, because we're growing up with it. Um, I'd say that we are, you know, very inquisitive and we're a lot more like, maybe unafraid, than other generations, because it's been like a really grown up in like a really complex time for so many different reasons, and I think that that's allowed us to not be afraid to do things that might not be seen as acceptable or talk about topics that are seen as taboo.
Speaker 3:I think mental health is one of them. At least in my circle of people, I think mental health has been becoming more destigmatized. There's definitely still work that needs to go on a large scale, but I think with Gen Z, I think that's something that has improved significantly. And just other topics people are more willing to be open and I think the internet's been really pivotal on that as well, with the introduction of bloggers and people who share every aspect of their daily lives. I think people have become more comfortable with sharing things like that and I think that in to an extent is really valuable. And you know, understanding other people better, understanding their background and where they're coming from, and I think that you know so many things could really be discussed more in the open and I think Gen Z is kind of leading the way for that to be more of a norm.
Speaker 2:No, I love that and I feel like I see on LinkedIn about the next generation is lazy, as you said, and I'm like I don't know where you're getting your people.
Speaker 2:But I'm not experiencing that at all. I was saying to someone last night who I was in a pre-accelerator with like I have the most talented intern ever, like I wish I could copy and paste. You know, I think you are so brave and so confident and so smart and so creative and you listen and you pay attention to details and I'm like that that is the you know. You know and I'm like, and I was like and I was saying on the phone last night, like I need to chat with her when I'm seeing her today and I need to talk to her and help her lead other interns that are in the organization, because you lead with such empathy and such clarity and I think, think you know who in the workforce is going to be really lucky to have you and I can't wait till you back you. You know hire you, you know full time, that that that's just. It's a beautiful thing to see it. And I think you know I notice in the wellness space when you see someone that's so talented, you want to hone in on that and celebrate that, because as a startup, it's so hard to find that like really passionate people, but once you do, you really want to hold on to them. So thank you for being such an incredible resource and person and worker. It doesn't go unnoticed and any organization is going to be really lucky to have you. The attention is in the details. I learned that as a dancer like being really observant and being really diligent. I learned that through being a dancer as well, getting up really early to go work out before everyone was awake. That was something that was a practice and a continuation of that practice, because you learn as an entrepreneur. No one's going to give you a gold star. When you wake up at a certain time and sit at your desk and do the work, you have to want to do it and be really passionate about it. And so what I learned is I can't. I don't have every luxury in the world, but I do have luxury in who I choose to work with me. And so when you find the incredible talented people, you hold on to them and you celebrate that. And that's the coolest part and I think the secret sauce of Fortify is the people that I have a part of the team are super passionate, super smart and super creative and really care about the mission and the culture, and I actually think that's part of the reason a lot of startups fail is because there's that lack of working chemistry amongst the people and there's not transparency and there's not great and strong communication, which is something that I talk about all the time with other founders and it's just so special all the time with other founders and it's just so special. So I think, in terms of the next generation and in terms of hiring, you can find really exceptional people. I think it's also about, like, knowing the right fit and knowing how to spot out talent, which is something that I think I'm really good at and honing in on the talent and celebrating it and creating a working environment where people feel safe to communicate. And if you can start that like so early on as a startup, you know that you can build that as you go, so that's really really great.
Speaker 2:And I know you had told me that you're headed abroad in the fall, which is so exciting. You're going to London. How are you feeling about that? Because I think, like I always wanted to go abroad. I never did. I think I had mentioned to you that it's so great to get the equilibrium of like, of course, broadening your education and your experience and the work sector, but also having the equilibrium of just lived in life experience. What are you most excited for? What are you feeling, maybe nervous about, that you'd like to share?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think going abroad is going to be a really wonderful experience. It's going to be a very different experience from what I have right now. So I'm excited to see what the change is like and how. You know that, because I'm going to a very large university and it's a very it's a public like large, like graduate school, full-scale university instead of like a small liberal arts college. It's called a UCL University College London and I'm extremely excited and lucky to be able to be going there because it's a really, you know, wonderful academic institution with so many resources that, um, you know, liberal arts college just isn't able to have realistically. I think it's going to be a very different experience being, you know, larger lecture style classes, but it's going to teach me well, for, you know, something like graduate school or other higher education. So I think that's going to be a really wonderful experience. It's a very different environment as well, because right now my school, kenyon, is very, it's very, rural, which is beautiful in so many ways, but I think it's going to be a really great experience being in a large city because the campus is right in the middle of the center of the city. So it's going to be really nice having so many different things around me that I can explore at any time, and I know it's a really wonderful institution overall.
Speaker 3:I'm excited to learn, you know, different topics in psychology because they have, like as a British school, they have like a different perspective from what I know. So I think that would be really interesting to see. It's like how does their perspective compare to the American one, like what differences there are and maybe even why the differences exist. I think is even more fascinating like what like cultural changes there are, like in society that has led to these different, like changes in perceptions, and there is, you know, obviously different classes that are being taught there that I'm super excited to take and I'm hoping I'm able to take at like different levels.
Speaker 3:My British educational system is also different from ours. It's like a three-year curriculum instead of four-year curriculum, so I'm excited to see like how you know how that's done differently. I know there's a lot more specialization early on in their system compared to ours, so I think that's going to be a really interesting, exciting change to see like how, like in more advanced my peers are who are at the same age as me, because they would be, I think, graduating my year if they followed the traditional path, that's going in right after high school. So I think that's going to be really fascinating and special.
Speaker 3:I think that culturally, it's going to be a really interesting shift, like seeing, like all around the country. I'm hoping to do some traveling and explore as many different cultures as I can like, even outside of London or even outside of the entire United Kingdom. I think that that'll be a really fascinating experience because I'll be right there so, and I know that travel is so accessible in um in Europe, so I'm excited to see that as well and just learn different perspectives from different people who I would not really get to access on a daily basis as an American.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think meeting new people from different lived experiences is just so helpful. I came from a very small town in Massachusetts and I moved to New York City and I met all different types of people and it shaped the way that I work and with people and within my startup, within the workforce and then also personally. It really is a great experience to get out of where you grew up and meet different types of people, and it really informs the way that you view the world and yourself. It's just a really, really good experience. I'm really happy for you. So wave your magic wand for your generation and college age students. What is one resource you wish that they had in terms of wellness?
Speaker 3:I have a few part answer to this, because I have one for my college that I'm very passionate about and then a more general one at my college. Sometimes, something that I'm really really feel strongly about and actually work a lot with is accessibility on campus, both for, like you know, people with disabilities physical and, you know, mental in any sense. And at Kenyon, I think that like accessibility in like a physical sense is something that's really lacking, and I know what a lot of like more historic colleges. That is a huge issue because they were built like so long ago that certain like requirements weren't in place and buildings aren't really accessible for people with like mobility issues. Like my campus, we have something called middle path.
Speaker 3:It's a very divisive topic, but it's an unpaved path and whenever it's like not great weather, whether it's like rainy or icy or snowy, it can get like kind of half of this, especially if you don't have, like you know, a hundred percent like mobility. And even if you do, it can still be really dangerous. And something I believe that should happen is that I believe it should be paved and that would make it much more accessible, because right now, if you're in like some sort of mobility, I mean, if you require mobility aid, you really can't take that path and that is really the most accessible way to get to anywhere on campus and I don't believe that people should have to take alternative routes to get to the same spaces that people who don't need a mobility aid or have an issue accessing every space should have. And yeah, it's a very divisive topic on, at least at Kenyon, because people are so ingrained in tradition, but I think that sometimes Tristan needs to be considered and response to what everyone should be able to access and do. And then a lot of the older buildings this is, I think, more of a general thing, a lot of older campus buildings. They're all entered through steps. You can't access it if you have any sort of mobility aid, which is really limiting both in terms of classrooms and where you can live on a campus space.
Speaker 3:So I think that's something that's really important and needs to be, you know, reconsidered. Like I obviously understand, there are financial costs and there are, like historic preservation laws, but, you know, I think it's so important that everyone be able to access the same space and have that same access. So that's something that's just really important to me, I think I always want to put out there whenever I have the opportunity to talk about it, because it's something I'm extremely passionate about and I would love to see some sort of change there. I think in terms of mental health as well, I'd love just more like access and like in terms of mental and physical health, just more more access like 20, like 24 hours or different times during the day, because I think that right now, the resources we have are very limited and I think this that's something that's really valuable is 24, like easy, convenient access to like services and like someone you could talk to in one place that feels safe and confidential.
Speaker 3:I think that's something that's so important is having that trust with students and you know if there is like something that can be like seen as safe and not something that you could get reported for saying the wrong thing. I believe that's something that everyone needs to have access to and I think trust is the most important part of that equation. And you know administrators, you know allowing students to like have that resource is so valuable and making it, like you know, accessible. You know both financially and you know just technology wise, because everyone has, you know, a different financial situation and background and, you know, having high quality resources at a fairly reasonable cost, I think is something that is super important as well.
Speaker 2:Yes, I mean you know when you're dealing with therapy, it's maintain the confidentiality. If not, if people don't care about it, like on an ethical perspective which they could, it's like a HIPAA violation to maintain that trust, which is I'm really passionate about that, especially with AI and the way that we see AI evolving in mental health. I talk a lot about that with our developer, about ethical standards, especially with mental health. So, are you familiar with the mom test at the book? I'm not, actually I'd love to learn more. I'm not going to give it to you, but it's basically someone wrote it's used a lot in technology.
Speaker 2:But basically, like, if you ask leading questions in beta testing with apps, people can kind of lie to you. Like you know, your mom might be like oh my gosh, honey, I love this product and so, unless you ask questions that are about the product or about the problems, it can lead to leading questions. So this might be a leading question, but I don't intend it to be a leading question. This is more so about Fortify and what you're excited about with the app. You've sort of addressed issues that Fortify is already addressing, but I'm curious, like, what are you really excited about in terms of the product and what we're building.
Speaker 3:There's a few things that, from what I've seen, I really love. I love any sort of telehealth I think is really valuable because it creates like that it prevents that access barrier. You can access it at any, any like, at any time. You know. If you're, like you know, at home and not feeling up to like moving to there, going out, I think that's really great to be able to just get on the phone and like talk to someone or have like a journal about it. I think that's something that's really valuable to any sort of telehealth. But Fortify, from what I've seen, I love like the meditations and I love how everything's like kind of all in one. I think that's really really important. And like for accessibility, like people don't want to have like 10 million apps on their phone that all do one individual feature like Fortify does so many things just in one app or one on one program, which I think is really people are going to appreciate that, at least in my opinion, it's something I know I would appreciate for sure. Um, I think that you know I love how there you can like kind of it'll like pair you with someone that's good for you if you're looking for therapy, so you can like kind of sort and it can find like a person that's right for you as well. Yeah, I think that it's just a really wonderful app over and excuse me and program overall, and I believe that it's that like I appreciate like the all-in-one this stuff and how it's all like one convenient, like subscription. I think that's really important as well. So people aren't doing a lot of micro transactions, which I think personally I'm not a big fan of this at all like I love like just all-in-one, so it's a lot more efficient and then you're not paying like two dollars this and two dollars for this and like just a few little things that really tend to add up, or I think this is just a lot more transparent in that sense as well.
Speaker 3:I find that really helpful and I love how it's like you know, being run by someone like you, honestly like someone who you know is very like trustworthy and has, you know, very good intentions. I think that's something that's so important. I always believe that intention is like one of the most important, if not the most important things a person like to prioritize about. A person like even if, like, an action doesn't always come out the right way, intentions are so important? I think you really do have like. You want people to like succeed and have like really good, like really good resistance and have help that, the kind of help you wanted. I think that it's going to go a long way in people like learning to like trust and understand what Fortify is, just like showing them who you are.
Speaker 2:Thank you, it's very kind. No, and I've experienced when in real time therapists not maintaining confidentiality and how intrusive that can feel and wanting to kind of change that and basically create something that I needed at your age. And building it with people like you in mind that are highly motivated and smart and want to build more balance right is just. It's great, it's so important and I think the biggest takeaway for college age students is like you can live a really good life.
Speaker 2:You don't have to just survive, you can thrive and you can always a chance for a do-over, to start over and to just live the best life, and there's people that want to help you and it's so unfortunate that it's so inaccessible for so many people. But I think that we're going to see it in the coming years how it doesn't have to feel so far-fetched, that you can find trustworthy people that maintain confidentiality and really look at you from a mind, body, soul perspective, which I hope people start to appreciate and love and take in. So I am so excited for that. I'm so excited to see how it evolves in the wellness industry. I think that's really important for sure yeah.
Speaker 2:So thank you, ava, for joining me today. I'm so excited that we got to have you, because we want to hear from people like you that are in college, and we're building an app for people that are in college and want to live a balanced life, so it was so cool to hear your insights today, so thank you so much.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me. I had a really great time.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the fortify wellness pod, where we empower mind, body and soul to reach new heights. Your wellbeing is your greatest strength. Nurture it, honor it and watch yourself thrive. If today's episode inspired you, subscribe, share your thoughts in the comments and come back next week for more insights to elevate your journey. Stay empowered, stay true and remember you're not alone. This is a Fortify Wellness production. All rights reserved 2025.