Luther sophomore Breitenstein named the Student Advisory Committee Representative of the BACCHUS Initiatives

Luther College sophomore Maggie Breitenstein has been named to the 2018-19 BACCHUS Initiatives Student Advisory Committee as a Student Advisory Committee Representative for Region IV-E, representing Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Ontario. This committee is a part of NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The BACCHUS Initiative of NASPA supports collegiate peer educators and advisors by empowering students and student affairs administrators to create healthy and safe campus environments.

Breitenstein, the daughter of Lizabeth Fox and Joseph Breitenstein, of Decorah, is a 2016 graduate of Decorah High School. She is majoring in health and fitness promotion and minoring in communications studies at Luther.

Chandra Jennings, director of the Nena Amundson Lifetime Wellness Program, reflected on Maggie’s time as a wellness ambassador. “Maggie is a natural leader with unparalleled energy and passion for promoting health for individuals and communities. It has been refreshing to work with her in the classroom and to have her on our peer educator team as an ambassador for wellness on campus. I am incredibly excited for Maggie and her selection to the committee where she can continue to grow, share her passion, and learn new things to bring back to Luther,” said Jennings.

Breitenstein is planning on graduating one year early in spring 2019 with a major in health and fitness promotion and a minor in communication studies. She enjoys all aspects of the concept of wellness and in addition to her role as a Wellness Ambassador at Luther, she is a yoga and cycling instructor at Reefuel, a local fitness establishment. Breitenstein has enjoyed her time serving as a Wellness Ambassador on campus for more than a year and enjoys providing wellness resources for her fellow students.

She is very excited to start her term as a representative. “I’m really passionate about wellness and helping people lead happy and healthy lives. I have loved being a NASPA/BACCHUS certified peer educator and I am so excited for this opportunity to grow my strengths as a CPE and in turn help others to do the same on a higher level to create a bigger national and international impact,” Breitenstein said.

Applicants for this committee must be a full-time undergraduate student and be active in a peer education group at a campus with a NASPA Institutional Membership. Along with Breitenstein, there are six other students from around the country representing the seven NASPA regions and two co-directors that will lead the committee throughout the year.

The committee members will work with the co-directors to build cohesion among affiliates, gather information about affiliate activities for publication in regional and national BACCHUS materials and promote student interests in the actions of the BACCHUS Initiative.

As a Student Advisory Committee Representative, Breitenstein will provide her perspective on peer education topics, contribute to the field by writing blogs, presenting peer education sessions at a General Assembly and aiding in the coordination of regional spring conferences. Over the summer, she will travel for training that she will use throughout her term.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,050, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.