Across a myriad of colleges and universities, the lives of most students have at least a few things in common: stress, busy schedules and interrupted sleep schedules. While they might be normalized as par for the course, these behaviors can take a toll on overall health and wellbeing.

Alba Enriquez CC’26 (she/her) and Emily Yao CC’26 (she/her) help their classmates to create healthier habits in their roles as Alice! Health Promotion CU Well peer leaders. Through workshops, trainings and events — even dog therapy — the cognitive science major from Palo Alto, Calif., and the psychology major from Lima, Peru, have dedicated their College years to serving their peers. They provide a space to talk about wellness, mental health and building a foundation for life after the College.

“We’re leading these workshops, but we also understand that we have to prioritize these things for ourselves,” Yao says. “From a student perspective, it can be hard to hear about wellness from someone who isn’t a student anymore; they have a different lifestyle. So, in a way, we get more trust from our audiences.”

Enriquez and Yao shared a glimpse into what their peer leader experiences have been like over the past few years.

How did you first hear about the opportunity to be peer leaders?

Yao: I applied during the Spring semester of my first year. I knew about Alice! when I applied to the College, and doing community service that’s related to public health and mental health is something I’m really passionate about. I saw a flyer on a bulletin board in my dorm, so I thought I’d try my luck and apply.

Enriquez: I found the opportunity on the website. I was looking for ways in which I could connect with and help the Columbia community. I applied during the Spring semester of my sophomore year, so I’ve been with Alice! for two years now.

One of your main responsibilities is hosting wellness workshops; what topics do you cover?

Enriquez: We have so many: Sleep 101, Time Management, Stress Management, Connecting to Nature, and Friend to Friend. We also do Naloxone training. I really like Time Management because I enjoy talking to students about what they’re struggling with and fitting the workshop to meet their needs. You can adapt the material for different student populations.

Yao: Yes, it’s exciting that we can update the curriculum to suit student needs. Every semester, the peer leaders will talk about what we’re seeing with our peers and any changes we should make. It’s cool to see how they have evolved. I enjoy the Naloxone workshop, though it’s not the most fun to teach; there’s definitely something [rewarding] about knowing it makes a tangible impact.

How would you say you’ve grown from your experience with Alice!?

Enriquez: It’s allowed me to get better at talking to strangers. Tabling is all about talking to people coming down the ramps in Lerner and telling them about Alice!; I used to be a little bit shyer in those scenarios. So that’s definitely an area of growth. And my public speaking has gotten better with doing workshops; I feel like I’m better at giving presentations in class.

Yao: For me, it’s been a way to feel more connected to campus. When I came in my first year, I had my friends, but I didn’t know the landscape of Columbia very well. Now, I feel a lot more in touch with different student groups and staff and even some administrators. We have students on our staff not just from the College, but from Mailman and Teachers College and Barnard; it’s been a nice way to get to know people from other schools. It always brings me so much joy to meet people who I’d otherwise never get the chance to meet.

What will you carry with you from Alice! after you graduate?

Enriquez: It has totally changed my career trajectory. Alice introduced me to the world of health promotion, and now this is what I want to do. I’ve also met more people from Mailman, and now I’m applying to their public health master’s program. It’s been a butterfly effect.

Yao: Alice! has always been a way for me to give back to my community. Back home, I work with a nonprofit that advocates for youth suicide prevention. It’s nice to pull in observations and conversations I’ve had on campus and bring those back to my nonprofit.

What’s been your favorite class you’ve taken at Columbia?

Enriquez: I would say “The Science of Living Well” with Scott Kaufman. It was a very cool lecture at Barnard that covered everything from confidence and self-love to flourishing and having a good mindset; it was so interesting. I’m also in “FAQs About Life” with Larisa Solomon, which is an applied psychology seminar. It’s super fun — it teaches you how to apply psychology in your everyday life in a way that improves it.

Yao: A class that really changed my life is “Computers and Society” with Ronald Baecker. I grew up in Silicon Valley and I’ve been surrounded by tech my whole life; it’s something that I’ve just kind of embraced. But it gave me a much more critical eye of what happens in these tech spaces and got me thinking about how technology and AI are changing so much, including in wellness.

What’s your favorite restaurant in the city?

Yao: I’ve always loved Soba Noodle Azuma in Midtown. I first went with my family; it’s a quiet little place and a nice getaway if you want to get downtown. I also really like Massawa here around campus.

Enriquez: I like L’Industrie Pizza, and I go to Culture for frozen yogurt quite a lot. TAP Brazilian Café is also very good; they serve the best acai in the city.

How have you taken advantage of being in NYC?

Yao: I think it’s really a shame when people get so busy that they can’t leave campus, because so many of us come here to be in the city. So I’ve really tried to take advantage of the resources that Columbia has to offer, like free and discounted museums. During my first year, I used to go to The Met on random Tuesdays for, like, 30 minutes, just because I could.

Enriquez: For me, it boils down to three words: friends, food and fashion. I’ve cultivated great friendships with the people around me and I’ve made so many good memories trying new things, new food and being exposed to different cultures. I also like to explore my identity through fashion and to find ways to be unique in a chaotic place. I love people watching; it’s like seeing my Pinterest feed in real life with everyone’s different styles.