During the fall 2020 semester, Union College’s editing class of 10 students worked with AdventHealth’s CREATION Life team to produce a “Wellness Journal” for young adults.
At the beginning of the semester, the CREATION Life team met virtually with the editing class to collaborate on the project to reach college-aged students and discuss all aspects of health in an engaging way. They wanted the finished product to include writings from students from multiple Adventist colleges, but everything else was up to the class.
Robyn Edgerton, director of mission strategy at AdventHealth, said about the project, “We are delighted and really want the end result to be something that inspires students.”
After discussing potential formats, the class decided on a “Wellness Journal.” It would allow readers to learn about each of the topics in the CREATION acronym—Choice, Rest, Environment, Activity, Trust in God, Interpersonal Relationships, Outlook, and Nutrition—and learn about themselves in the process. With this idea in mind, the class began pulling all the pieces together.
Two students from the class began the process by contacting students from each college and assigning them to a particular topic. As the writing submissions came in, they edited them, using the skills they learned in class.
“The writings that were submitted were brilliant. The content was relevant and interesting to hear about. They were all filled with fascinating information,” said Lacey Stecker, one of the students responsible for editing the writings.
Several of the students in the class contributed to the main copy. The class also created the introductory material, the self-assessments at the beginning and end, the journal prompts for readers and the sidebars for all the writings. This additional material that fills each page allows readers to interact with the book, making it their own Wellness Journal.
The class finished gathering and producing the pieces and presented everything to AdventHealth at the beginning of November.
“I am thoroughly impressed by the editing that was done,” Joshua Morton, social media manager for CREATION Life, said to the class. “You’re doing a good job. You students are talented for sure.”
AdventHealth is working with a designer to pull the book together, consulting with the class to make sure it aligns with their vision.
Lori Peckham, the editing class professor, said, “I know we will end up with a product that will make every participating student proud and will impact readers to begin their own wellness journey.”
The Wellness Journal will be released in the first quarter of 2021.
by Hannah Drewieck, a junior communication and
business administration major from Stoughton, Wisconsin