Amherst College Runs RADical Health for the Fourth Year

Amherst College and RADical Hope have partnered up for another year to support the mental, emotional and physical health of the college’s first year student-athletes.  Amherst first piloted RADical Health in 2022 and this spring marks the seventh semester of running the program.

“We have been really encouraged and inspired by the positive feedback we’ve received from participants in our program,” shared Jordan Hayslip, Program Coordinator for Amherst LEADS. “It has been especially impressive how many students have, after participating in the RADical Health program, contacted me to inquire about becoming guides themselves and leading sessions for future first-year students.”

Amherst implements RADical Health’s resilience building program with first year student-athletes who are out of season. Upperclassmen student-athletes serve as the peer Guides, taking their fellow peers through the four-week experience to explore key themes including communication, active listening, decision-making, stress management, principles and priorities and more.

In the fall of 2024 alone, 110 first year student-athletes experienced RADical Health under the leadership of 25 trained peer Guides.

This spring of 2025, the remaining 70 first year student-athletes are now going through RADical Health with 10 peer Guides who are providing support and direction.

“It has been a pleasure partnering with Amherst Athletics, Jordan Hayslip, and the student-athletes to bring RADical Health to campus over the past few years,” shared Mackenzie Kelly, RADical Hope Director of Programs. “As Jordan highlighted, what has been most compelling is the student-driven leadership that has emerged— student-athletes returning to facilitate sessions for their peers demonstrates both the strength and sustainability of this model. This level of student engagement will allow the program to take root and become an integral part of Amherst athletic culture.”