My First Timer ACHA Experience

During the week of June 1st-5th, I had the pleasure of attending the American College Health Association's Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Delicious cheesesteaks aside :)...this was a GREAT, worthwhile experience! At this meeting, I attended a keynote session that challenged my thinking and introduced me to many new ideas. As some of you might know, I am not new to the IDHS grant world, BUT it's no secret that I am fairly new to college health. I attended quite a few sessions that expanded my knowledge on alcohol prevention/education, research, theory and strategies. The networking at this conference was at its best! I was able to spend quite a bit of time talking to our numerous Illinois Affiliates who were in attendance. I talked to them about our programs and what they liked and disliked. These conversations gave me a lot of great ideas for future trainings and next year's work plan. I also met a lot of the veteran's of college health from across the country. We were also able to connect with quite a few exibitors who could possibly help with our 2011 IHEC conference. I became a part of the Health Promotion Section of ACHA, which allowed me to network with a lot of other health educators from across the country and learn what works on their campuses. I also became the nominating committee chair for the Mid-America College Health Association (MACHA). I attended the MACHA board meeting and business meeting at the conference. This opportunity allowed me to connect with others in our region. As you see...the networking was next to none! I feel quite lucky that I was able to have this opportunity! I would recommend this conference to anyone in the future! Until next time...Smile! :) -Jessica