Wellness Ambassador of the Month
Jojo Melendres– Case Management

How long have you worked at UC Davis?

I have been at UC Davis for six years.

What does Wellness mean to you?

Wellness is net positivity in most aspects of your life like being healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Wellness is living life with choices that make you feel happy, or even excited and hopeful for greater things to come. Wellness is about not losing hope at any given time. 

Why did you become a wellness ambassador?

It comes as a second nature to promote wellness being a healthcare provider in nearly all levels of care. I say this from experience. Being an ambassador is a voluntary commitment to share any helpful information, meaningful gesture, act of kindness, or effort to give direct help to people around you. There is infinite joy that comes back when you invest on positive actions with another fellow human being.  Being a wellness ambassador is my daily cup of tea in paying forward to others. 

How long have you been a wellness ambassador?

2.5 years.

What has been the most rewarding or positive part about your experience thus far?

Wellness Ambassadors are colleagues who exude strong positive spirit and is a fountain of good energy to draw upon. I learn much about how they promote wellness to the community and it's a source of daily inspiration. Wellness ambassadors are friendly and welcoming - always open to creating an engagement that will uplift people around them. There are cool swags too!

What are some challenges you face as a wellness ambassador, especially through the pandemic?

Wellness ambassadors depend on leadership championship. If your department or immediate leaders do not support you, it is not really encouraging to continue. 

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new wellness ambassadors?

Do the absolute right all the time and express good intentions no matter what. Goodwill transcends deep and will convince most people to share the same thing. Only through positive experience and reinforcement that one sees and feels that will continue the cycle of paying forward.  

Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being aims to build an environment that makes the healthier choice the easier one, while providing staff and faculty with the required support to make UC Davis the healthiest community. How do you feel you have contributed to our mission?

I feel I have contributed to the mission to some degree through the collective effort of other wellness ambassadors and resources of employee resource groups. I feel satisfied but always with room for improvement.

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

I celebrate a quick getaway with my family to dine, watch a movie, or visit a new and nice place. If less time is available, I talk to my friends across the world via ham radio.