A Little Gratitude Goes a Long Way at Mary Washington
A simple thank-you can make someone’s day, and UMW is putting that idea into practice through a campuswide gratitude campaign led by the Office of Health and Wellness.
During Scary Thanksgiving on Oct. 30, students stopped by a Health and Wellness table to write postcards expressing their appreciation for faculty and staff members who have made a difference in their lives. The handwritten notes are being delivered through campus mail, offering recipients an unexpected reminder of the impact they have on students.
“The students’ eyes lit up when given this opportunity!” said Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness Juliette Landphair, who helped organize the initiative.
The postcard campaign grew out of findings from a Healthy Minds Study, which showed that UMW students turn to faculty and staff for support at higher rates than students at many other institutions. For Landphair, those findings reflect something central to the Mary Washington experience: the close relationships and lifelong connections that develop across campus.
Gratitude has been a focus for the entire Health and Wellness team this fall, with messages about its benefits appearing on posters in restroom stalls across campus. Research shows that expressing gratitude benefits both the person receiving thanks and the person offering it.
Through handwritten notes and simple acts of appreciation, the campaign celebrates the faculty and staff who support students every day — and reminds the UMW community that a few thoughtful words can have a lasting impact.
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