A group of four senior nursing students are once again visiting Perry Wellness Center as part of their mental health rotation. Four students from Georgia Southwestern State University recently attended group sessions and established personal contacts with several peers at the center. The experience gives students a firsthand look at how people with mental illness cope and recover with treatment and support.
When not studying, the students found out that the center’s campus is a great place for exploration. During a recent break, the students visited numerous sites on campus, including the array of walking paths, fountains, ponds, garden structures, and greenhouses.
After stopping by Rudy’s Happy Patch Market, the four students began their walk down the hill on which the market is sited. As they walked, they discovered Perry Wellness Center’s own banana tree. Excited with that discovery, they proceeded to the Helping Hand” fountain and pool designed by Jeff Williams. But the young women kept returning to comments on the discovery of the tropical fruit in south Georgia.
“I have never seen bananas as they grow on a tree,” said Charlene Jeanbaptiste, a nursing student who is also an Army veteran. “I bet those two bunches of bananas are exciting for visitors. We are happy with our discovery!”
This group of four students are just part of a total of 16 students who have visited Perry Wellness Center in the past few weeks. Perry Wellness Center founder and CEO Stuart Perry is delighted to host the group, saying, “We welcome our nursing students to our campus. We hope that our activity will lure future nurses to join our team and realize the growing need for mental health services.”
In the photo above, a group of nursing students pause to check the growth of bananas on this tropical tree. From left are: Samantha Joubert, from Gwinnett County, studying pediatrics; Charlene Jeanbaptiste, from Chicago, studying psychology; Brigitte Locke, from Taylor County, studying labor and delivery; and Ciara James, from Americus, studying trauma nursing.