Invaluable Support for an Incredible Community

As a health educator at the Schacht Center for Health and Wellness, Sunny Windorski ’20 is deeply attuned to the stress and anxiety students experience every day, especially as war and unrest rage on a global scale, climate change threatens the health of the planet, and political strife continues to divide the nation.

To help students find ways to cope, Windorski has spearheaded a comprehensive new initiative called Community Care in Times of Uncertainty. The goal, Windorski says, is two-fold: spotlight the range of wellness programming available to the Smith community and make clear that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to navigating challenging moments and circumstances.

“This is [our] attempt at trying to help students learn about themselves and learn about how to help themselves during a difficult time,” Windorski says.

The program comes at a time when the American Psychological Association reports that Gen Zers, the generation of students currently in college, are experiencing higher levels of stress, in particular. According to the APA’s 2023 Stress in America survey, 18- to 34-year-olds put their stress level at six out of 10. The primary reasons: uncertainty about their financial futures, the general state of the world, and feelings of isolation.

The Community Care initiative collects a variety of disparate, pre-existing programming under one umbrella of wellness, making it easier for students, faculty, and staff to see the many ways they can decompress or come together for support. To participate, departments and offices may submit pre-existing panels, workshops, and other events; Windorski and their team then sort the submissions into one of three categories—Connect, Think, or Do—based on what they offer. Depending on the event promoter’s wants or needs, the team can also help with promotional materials before posting details on the Think. Connect. Do. Instagram account. Current programming includes post-election debriefs; a public day of mindfulness; First Tuesdays and Second Thursdays; guest lectures on Islamophobia, racism, and antisemitism; and events related to Election Day itself on November 5.

The program has its roots in Windorski’s own experience at Smith. As a psychology major, they studied different kinds of coping mechanisms, from intellectualization (immersing oneself into the difficult circumstance they’re faced with) and sublimation (the opposite, where energy and focus is channeled into a completely different, seemingly unrelated thing) to “just the need to be around other people and the need to feel connection.” That knowledge, coupled with inspiration from the Design Studio for Social Intervention in Boston, informed the creation of the Community Care initiative.

To ensure a student- and community-driven focus while bringing Community Care in Times of Uncertainty to life, Windorski worked closely with current Smithies Hannah Osman ’27J and Mia White ’27, along with other campus partners, including Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of the College Alexandra Keller, Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students Julianne Ohotnicky, the Jandon Center for Community Engagement, the Center for the Environment, Ecological Design, and Sustainability, and the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.

“There’s a romance to having control over aspects of life, but something I continue to struggle with is identifying the things in my life that are tangibly available to control and others that are not,” White says of the decision to participate in the initiative. “Being a part of the ‘uncertainty project’ has made my trajectory focused on the resources that Smithies are providing in order to break away, cope, or embrace unmanageable instances that can be harmful or numbing to someone. It’s great being in a community like Smith where [these] events are happening.”

Another notable aspect of the program is its fluidity; it will run for as long or as short as the Smith community needs it. And for those who may be looking for support beyond the community initiatives, Windorski will be running mini support groups that will meet four different times, starting in the first week of November. Topics include election anxiety, global violence with a focus on what’s happening in Gaza and Congo, racial injustice, and climate anxiety.

“People will have to sign up in advance, but they don’t have to go to all four,” Windorski says. “Obviously no one’s going to come away from these things saying, ‘I feel all better about climate change now,’ but it’s just a space to acknowledge you’re not alone in your feelings.”

It’s a sentiment Windorski’s hopes will linger regardless of whether the program lasts for a month or for years. “I hope students feel in community with each other and with all of us,” they say. “I hope we’re all able to take some perspective and appreciation of the work being done on this campus, and be reminded of how incredible this community is.”