The University of West Georgia’s Bridgette Stewart was recently named as a National Wellness Institute (NWI) 2018 Circle of Leadership inductee. Stewart, senior lecturer in the Department of Sports Management, Wellness and Physical Education in the College of Education (COE), was one of four individuals in the nation to receive the honor.

With this new opportunity, Stewart will serve as an ambassador for NWI to spread the message of wellness around the world.

“It really is a privilege to work with the staff and members at the National Wellness Institute,” she said.

NWI was formed to provide health promotion and wellness practitioners with resources and services that fuel professional and personal growth while promoting the understanding of the factors that contribute to overall health and well being.

Stewart has been working passionately in this field for over 15 years.

In addition to her class load, Stewart is the coordinator for COE’s Health and Community Wellness program and director of the Wolf Wellness Lab, a hub of wellness programs and activities on campus that also serves as an experiential learning center for students in the program. She is an active member of the Georgia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (GAHPERD) and the National Wellness Institute. She serves as chair of the Council for Wellness Certification Excellence for NWI, which recently developed the country's first set of core competencies for wellness professionals.

“I think my passion for students and for helping others find holistic wellness is contagious,” she concluded. “People will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you make them feel. I think I make others feel included and valued, which is how we grow as individuals.”