Our Team

The Health & Wellbeing Initiative is supported by a dedicated team committed to strengthening student wellbeing across the Texas Woman’s University community.

Through collaboration with campus partners, student leaders, and peer educators, our team works to create programs and environments that support student success, belonging, and lifelong wellbeing.

Tanisha Freeman, MBA, LSSYB

Director of Health and Wellbeing
940-898-3845
Email Tanisha Freeman
Tanisha Freeman on Linkedin

At an early age Saturday morning cartoons introduced us to critical concepts in navigating friendships and all the ways in which we show up for the world, with shows like Sesame Street & The Care Bears teaching us Sharing is Caring. While this remains true, we must also mindfully grant ourselves permission to focus inward when needed. Personal growth and self-healing is often the starting place for living in our purpose and being driven by our compassion. Pouring from a full cup allows us to constructively show up for self and others as we navigate our experiences.

Francilia Brito Silva, Ph.D., CHWC

Assistant Director of Health and Wellbeing Initiative - Operations
346-202-2939
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Francilia on LinkedIn

"When I understood that I should daily nourish my body, mind, and spirit to find balance and properly offer my best to others and myself, I started to have better health and wellbeing. Currently, that is self-care for me, managing to invest adequate amounts of energy in all these three areas."

Kara Belt

Business Manager
940-898-3388
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Kara on LinkedIn

"Keeping my overall wellbeing balanced is a challenge, but rewarding when it actually happens! Making healthy eating choices and taking daily time for creativity helps me a great deal, which in turn allows me to support others better. I like encouraging others to find a creative outlet for their mental health. Knitting, embroidery, and quilting are my favorite self-care activities.”

Meet Your Coaches

Hope Wooten - Denton Campus

Hello everyone! My name is Hope Wooten and I am a 4th year Psychology Major with a Spanish minor. I am also a Resident Assistant for Parliament Village and a Psi Chi member on-campus! My favorite thing to study is Social Psychology and how people and their minds work in daily life and in different situations. To me, self-care is listening to my gut, communicating what I feel and know, and setting boundaries. Although this can be challenging for me, I always feel taken care of by myself when I do this. I would love to hear about who you are, how things are going, and how we can guide you through your own self-care!

Jason Liu - Denton Campus

My name is Jason Liu, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in Kinesiology at TWU. I am also a Certified Personal Trainer through NASM. I am passionate about exercise and love cooking healthy meals. I believe your capacity is closely tied to your physical condition and the nutritious food you eat. To stay healthy and FIT, you might see me around campus or at Fit & Rec. As part of a global health initiative, "Exercise is Medicine" is based on the belief that physical activity is essential for optimal health and plays a key role in preventing and treating many medical conditions. Let's join ANS in promoting healthy behaviors: Eat Well, Move Well, and Mind Well to Live Well.

Ceirah Kurian - Denton Campus

Hi everyone! My name is Ceirah Kurian and I’m a Biology major passionate about health and wellness. I’m excited to start serving as a wellness coach, walking alongside others as they navigate their own unique journeys. I believe everyone goes through different paths, life phases, and seasons—and I’m here to help guide and encourage you through those changes. I’m looking forward to supporting you in building healthy habits and finding balance that works for your life!

Olamide Adefiranye - Dallas Campus

My name is Olamide Adefiranye, and I am a nursing major at TWU. I am passionate about mental and physical health. I believe our overall performance is tied closely to our mental and emotional well-being. Prioritizing your mental health does not have to be complicated; it can be something as simple as taking a stroll, listening to your favorite artists or reading your favorite book, as long as it helps you relax and focus. I also believe it is important to have hobbies as they not only help challenge our creativity but can also serve as a healthy outlet and a form of self-care. Currently, crocheting, baking, and reading are my go-to form of self-care.

Nikita Thomas - Houston

Hello everyone! My name is Nikita Thomas and I’m a third-year nursing student. Self-care to me is highly essential as it allows me to recharge and ground myself. It’s so important to take intentional time to do the things that bring my joy so I can be my best self and help others.

Kanan Mehta - Dallas Campus

Hi everyone! My name is Kanan Mehta, and I’m a junior nursing major at Texas Woman’s University’s Dallas campus with minors in Psychology and Neuroscience. I am also a Certified Peer Educator and am excited to be starting my coaching position with TWU through Online Services while based at the Dallas campus. I am deeply passionate about wellness and believe true health goes beyond just the physical; it includes mental, emotional, and social well-being. A fun fact about me is that I love working out and staying active, as it helps me feel balanced, grounded, and energized. I value mental health and enjoy learning how the mind and body work together to support overall wellness. I am passionate about caring for others and building deep, meaningful connections with people. I truly appreciate and value the health and wellness initiatives at Texas Woman’s University and am grateful to be part of a community that prioritizes supporting students in living well mind, body, and soul.

Vandagriff Scholars

Named in honor of the late Jaqueline Rae Vandagriff, former TWU student and nutrition major, the program seeks to support TWU students who have an interest in health and wellbeing. As part of their experience, the Vandagriff Nutrition Scholar mentors the A Nourishing Space (ANS)’s student coaches. ANS is a one-on-one wellness coaching program offered through Health and Wellbeing Initiative. Free to TWU students, it provides experiential learning for students majoring in Nutrition, Health Studies, and/or Kinesiology.

“The Vandagriff Endowment allows us to provide life-changing experiences to students while providing a valuable resource of service to our university community,” said Michelle Kelly, Director of the Health and Wellbeing Initiative.

Meet the Vandagriff Scholar

Jason Liu

Ph.D. candidate in Kinesiology

Support, Service and Collaboration

Peer Wellness Ambassadors

Peer Wellness Ambassadors play an important role in advancing the mission of the Health & Wellbeing Initiative. These trained student leaders support their peers through coaching, educational programs, and community-building initiatives connected to the Five Pillars of Wellbeing.

Learn more about the Peer Wellness Ambassador program.

Collaboration and Campus Partnerships

The work of the Health & Wellbeing Initiative is strengthened through collaboration with faculty, staff, departments and student organizations across the university.

These partnerships help ensure that wellbeing resources and opportunities are integrated throughout the student experience.

Contact the Health & Wellbeing Initiative

Students, faculty, staff, and campus organizations interested in connecting with HWI are encouraged to reach out.

The team welcomes opportunities to collaborate on programs, presentations, and initiatives that support student wellbeing.

Page last updated 4:01 PM, March 23, 2026