Brody L. Brown (’25) and Lucy Krokenberger (’25), two of University of Vermont's graduating seniors, each embarked on a transformative journey during their final spring semester as part of their internships at the Osher Center for Integrative Health. Their work, collaborating on a project to understand the mental health needs of UVM students, synthesized their academic learning and strengthened their connection to purpose.
“I have found most of my time in the public health program to be extremely enriching,” Krokenberger said, “as it is so amazing to be able to learn about topics that you are both passionate about and feel like makes a difference in the world.” She now views her senior capstone project as an intern at the Osher Center as “one of the most enriching projects of [her] academic career.”
Brown, who received this year's Helene M. Langevin Integrative Health Promoter of Change Award, cherished being able to work with “so many amazing people who care about students' health and wellness,” ranging from campus recreation to the Center for Health and Wellbeing. He also appreciated collaborating with and learning from other universities and entities, courtesy Osher’s active role as a member of the Osher Collaborative and the Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine and Health, to “examine similarly structured programs as a model for the work we plan to do here at UVM.”
Shaping the Future of Care
Cara Feldman-Hunt, Associate Director of the Osher Center, describes student mental health and wellbeing as “the bedrock of a thriving campus community” and is cheered by the work these public health capstone students have done to clarify our support offerings and forge a robust partnership with the Center for Health and Wellbeing. “[Brody and Lucy] have helped shape our programs,” she said, “by elevating the student voice and catapulting us into a new peer-driven, collaborative care era.”
To understand the mental health needs of UVM students, Brown and Krokenberger conducted a comprehensive needs assessment, partnering with various university departments and interviewing stakeholders to inform the proposed intervention of a peer-to-peer health and wellness program. This experience not only enriched their academic journey but also allowed them to make meaningful contributions to the UVM community.
Both hail from small towns in Vermont, Krokenberger from Middlesex and Brown from Williamstown, and share a passion for public health and integrative health, which have guided their academic and extracurricular pursuits.
Krokenberger, a Public Health Sciences major with a minor in Integrative Health, balanced her time between her other internship at Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, baking at Barrio Bakery in the Old North End, and her senior capstone project at the Osher Center. Brown, majoring in Public Health with a minor in Integrative Health, was deeply involved in the UVM community as a Supplemental Instructor and tutor for Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology, a volunteer at the UVM Children's Hospital, and a Research Assistant in the Department of Pediatrics.
“We believe that learning should be as transformative as it is informative,” said Osher Center Education Director Karen Westervelt, PhD, PT, ATC, NBC-HWC. “Our educational experiences for students at all levels from undergraduate to PhD, are intentionally designed to be interactive and deeply reflective, helping students like Lucy and Brody make meaningful connections between what they learn in the classroom and how they can support real-world change—starting right here in our UVM community.”
Krokenberger’s post-graduation plans include staying in Burlington through the summer, followed by a cross-country road trip to Oregon with her best friend. She hopes to attend grad school in a few years, taking time to decide on the right program. She encourages new students to “take advantage of opportunities and seek help when needed,” assuring them that “everything will fall into place!”
Brown plans to continue working at Lululemon on Church Street in Burlington while completing his accelerated master's in public health at the Larner College of Medicine, with aspirations to apply to medical school next spring. His advice to new students? “Embrace the new! Explore new places and do new things with new people! You'll find the things you love and the people you love doing them with, and you'll feel so connected to UVM and all there is to experience.”
As they prepare to graduate, Krokenberger and Brown leave behind a legacy of dedication, passion, and a commitment to improving the health and wellness of their peers. Their journey at UVM has been a testament to the power of integrative health and the impact of community engagement.