Goel Launches Student Organization Dedicated to Well-Being
by Whitney Hopler, Communications Manager
Inspired by her experiences in our center’s Well-Being Learning Community, Mason student Aditi Goel has founded the student organization Dare 2 Be Wise to help other students strengthen their well-being through mindfulness.
Dare 2 Be Wise “is a health and wellness organization where people come together to discuss the various mindfulness practices,” said Goel, an international student from India who is majoring in Public Administration and minoring in Well-Being and Computational and Data Sciences. “We create a safe space for people to have open conversations; to find ways to live a healthier, happier life. I want to bring the energy of the LLC and offer my connections with people outside campus, to share this journey of elevating our consciousness, with the entire campus.”
Dare 2 Be Wise holds bi-weekly meetings, as well as special events featuring guest speakers, on Mason’s Fairfax campus. During meetings, which usually last about 45 minutes, students discuss well-being topics and do mindfulness activities together. Check Dare 2 Be Wise’s Instagram page d2bewise_gmu for upcoming meetings, events, and weekly posts about well-being wisdom.
Goel said she is grateful for the community spirit she has in the Well-Being LLC. “Having stayed in the Well-Being LLC since my freshmen year has rendered many beautiful experiences. As an international student, apprehension set in as I transitioned into college life. Fortunately, my peers on the floor, and my instructors were really affectionate and motivating. The LLC retreats provided me with an opportunity to explore different parts of me that I never knew existed. It helped boost my confidence and self-compassion.”
The opportunities to learn more about mindfulness in the Well-Being LLC have also been valuable, said Goel. “Regular weekly mindfulness sessions and journals encouraged me to take a step out of my comfort zone and to really work on improving my personality. Through game nights, craft nights, and casual conversations in our common rooms has helped to form great connections and to open my mindset. Living on the floor is like a family. There are people from all years of undergraduate life, willing to take a journey together, toward an overall development of the self and toward building a harmonious community.”
Beyond Dare 2 Be Wise, Goel is helping others thrive through two classes she has filmed for Mason’s partnership with BurnAlong. After logging into BurnAlong, BurnAlong members can access Goel’s meditation class and Zumba class.
Goel, a cancer survivor, has also written about her well-being journey in her recent book Playing with Cancer at Age 13.