ROCHESTER, N.Y. — College students across New York are looking forward to the end of the semester. Crunch time, for many, is also a time of great stress. Efforts at one university are giving hard-working students a bit of a mental break.
On college campuses, the end of the semester only adds to the pressure.
“I’d say the workload,” said Natalie Sharer, a sophomore at Roberts Wesleyan University, near Rochester. “Balancing sports and everything.”
“It’s a pretty crazy time and it’s very stressful,” said junior Megan Taylor.
On the Roberts Wesleyan campus, relief has four legs, a wagging tail and he’s named Hudson.
“Students are getting ready for finals, so I thought it would be a good opportunity for Hudson to come in spread some joy, give students a break from the grind of studying,” said Brett Bouchard, Hudson’s handler.
The three-year-old Burmese Mountain Dog loves the attention. Bouchard brings him to campus twice a month — a therapy dog helping students deal with the stress of tests, deadlines and finals.
“It calms our nerves,” said Taylor. “There’s just something really therapeutic about it.”
“As someone with anxiety, having a dog really helps,” said sophomore Grace Keenan. “I mean, even having a cat in my dorm really helps. She’s my emotional support animal.”
“Moment of Paws” is a visit coordinated by the campus wellness center.
“I think this really helps students with their anxiety throughout the day,” said Kristen Godshall, wellness center coordinator. “They might be anxious about a final coming up, something along those lines, and Hudson definitely helps with that.”
A break from the pressure, even if just for a little bit.
“We came in to hopefully cheer some people up,” said Bouchard. “And put a smile on everybody’s face.”
Source link https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2024/12/05/college-stress-therapy-dog
