Western Carolina University is holding its annual Health and Wellness Fair to educate students new and old as they start the new semester.
It will on Sept. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the U.C. Fountain. With the record breaking number of freshmen that arrived to Western for the Fall 2026 semester, there’s bound to be some confusion: What exactly does health and wellness entail?
“We’re not just looking at physical and mental health,” states Claire Allison, director of Wellness Promotion at WCU. “[The Health and Wellness Fair] has campus partners representing spiritual wellness, social wellness, intellectual wellness, occupational wellness, environmental wellness, [and] financial wellness. We have at least two campus partners for each element [of wellness] so that they can talk to the students about how they can best support that area of wellness…”
While this fair gives freshmen important information as they adjust to life on campus, Allison says that attending the Fair can be valuable to older students as well. She says that throughout a student’s college career, their wellness needs evolve year after year: new jobs, internships, paying rent or student loans during and after college. The knowledge they gain will benefit them well into their professional and adult life.
Even if students don’t join a club or immediately apply the knowledge they gain from the fair, they still get something even more important: support and community.
“I think a big thing is trying to focus on finding your people, and just have that social support while you’re here. It’s just a human need to feel you belong and have your community. If [a student] has a particular faith that’s a big part of their identity, they can find a spiritual wellness outlet…or if a student is struggling with the transition to college, they might benefit by reaching out to CAPS [Counseling and Psychological Services]. Or maybe they can come by and pick up a t-shirt.”
In the case of rain, the event will be postponed.
