For a third straight year, NC State’s LGBTQ Pride Center and Campus Health are partnering for a week-long series of events designed to inform all NC State students about the various elements of holistic wellness. 

Well With Pride, in celebration of LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, will feature several events throughout the week of March 30 through April 3. The series started in 2024, and has grown under the direction of Jess Huynh, an assistant director for the Pride Center, and Charla Blumell, the Pride Center’s director. 

“Wellness is central to our purpose, especially given Charla’s health education background and my previous community health work,” Huynh said. “Well With Pride gives us the chance to broadcast the importance of wellness across campus and show off our creativity with new programs each year.”

Well With Pride kicks off on Monday, March 30 on the third floor of Talley Student Union with the annual Pride Center Health Fair, featuring giveaways, snacks and a resource scavenger hunt to help students learn about various wellness resources on campus. 

The Health Fair will feature collaboration from Campus Health and several other campus partners. 

“Campus Health and the Pride Center have a very strong partnership throughout the year but I think it shines a little brighter during Well With Pride,” said Campus Health Educator Dan Passonno. “The programs are part of the LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, so this is a natural collaboration. This week of programs allows participants to meet some members of the amazing Campus Health team while also learning more about the meaningful services offered within the department as well as other campus/community partners that support student well-being.”

The week of events will also feature Cultivating Gender Euphoria: A Self-Love Workshop on Tuesday, March 31 from 5-7 p.m. in the Pride Center. Registration is required for this event. 

The festivities continue on Wednesday, April 1 with a Meet and Eat event with Campus Health providers in the Pride Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., designed to give students a chance to meet with various Campus Health providers and ask questions, with lunch provided. 

“I would love to see students connect with not only Campus Health services but others that can support their health, safety and well-being,” Passonno said. “NC State and the Triangle have so many amazing services, so it’s great to have a week of programs dedicated to raising awareness around those and how they can benefit our student community.”

The final two events on Thursday, April 2 include a Threads of Identity: Clothing Pop-Up in the Talley Mountains Ballroom from 12-5 p.m. 

Thursday will also feature a GradGather Cooking Class with Campus Dietician Soo Uhm from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Carmichael Gym Teaching Kitchen, with registration required. 

“The health fair has been the through line all three years, and it’s been meaningful to see students become more familiar with campus and community resources over time, as well as to deepen our relationship with community and campus partners,” Huynh said. “It’s something I look forward to every spring.”

After this week of events, Huynh said that they hope students leave with a renewed sense of hope and access to resources that can improve their health, well-being and overall quality of life.

“We have a really impressive number of affirming organizations and offices at NC State and in the Triangle area,” Huynh said. “Having lived in Durham for over a decade, I’m always singing the praises of our Triangle area community resources and events to folks who live elsewhere. I don’t want NC State students to take these on- and off-campus resources for granted.”