Student Health and Wellness provides robust care to keep students thriving
October 22, 2026 — Alexis Mendoza ’27 can summarize the importance of Grinnell College’s Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) in as little as four words.
“SHAW has your back,” he says.
While that could be interpreted in the literal sense – Mendoza once was treated at SHAW because his back hurt – in the figurative sense SHAW is like a reliable friend who will not let someone face a problem alone.
Kasey Herbers, director of health services at SHAW, left, and Beth Perlman, dean of health and wellness, talk with alums about SHAW’s services.
“The College has made an incredible investment in the whole person,” says Beth Perlman, dean of health and wellness. “It’s really important for us to use holistic, integrated health to create a robust spectrum of care, where we can offer people individualized tailored support, both from our internal services – whether that’s physical health or mental health – or support navigating the healthcare system and healthcare literacy.”
SHAW provides an expansive range of medical, counseling, and wellness services. More than 70% of students used those services during the 2025-26 school year. Half of the 2026 graduating class saw a SHAW counselor at least once.
SHAW staff brings therapy dogs to the Humanities
and Social Studes Center (HSSC) atrium several
times each semester for students to interact with.
“I think we have high utilization rates because we’ve built trust,” Perlman says.
“The easy access and free in-town transportation are significant reasons why students are more willing to come back,” adds Kasey Herbers, director of health services at SHAW and a physician assistant.
Mendoza is one of the student drivers that transport students to pharmacies and medical appointments around Grinnell. Passengers regularly share their thoughts about SHAW.
“The diversity of services and the events that SHAW have are quite good and students are pretty happy about it all,” he says. “Some students have favorite counselors that they look forward to meeting with. Other students are more reluctant to talk to ‘adults’ so they turn to student health promoters.”
Farhan Rahman ’27 has worked as a student health promoter since fall 2024. Promoters assess the College health climate and then work on research-backed ways to improve concerns through programs and engagement. One idea Rahman implemented was the addition of gratitude stations, where students, faculty, and staff drop off written notes of appreciation to other Grinnellians.
“What students like most about SHAW is probably the accessibility and the options,” Rahman says. “There are options for many direct, in-person services that SHAW provides for mental and physical health. But at the same time, there’s a lot of online, usually 24-7, programs SHAW is affiliated with such as telehealth.”
The wide range and scope of services have outgrown the current SHAW facilities inside the Forum. A $6 million fundraising effort is underway for a new building – a modern, accessible hub where mental health, physical health, and wellness services are coordinated in one integrated environment. Plans for the new building comprise of flexible wellness and programmatic spaces, improved accessibility, and dedicated areas for both medical and mental health care. Thanks to several gifts, $3.7 million has already been raised toward the new facility, including a $1 million commitment from class of 1982 alums Scott and Laura Shepherd.
Herbers, Scott and Laura Shepherd, both ’82, and Perlman take a group photo inside SHAW. The Shepherds committed a $1 million gift to SHAW last year.
“Grinnell is a place where you can get a great education and where you come to make lifelong friends and build relationships,” Rahman says. “The prerequisite for all of that is to have a good, healthy body and mind in all regards. I think SHAW in its essence is here to provide that.”
A new SHAW facility will enable a modernized medical workflow that supports private responses to urgent needs, creates a centralized hub for expanded programming, and allows SHAW to serve more students without placing additional strain on staff or operations.
“The new building will be the next chapter in SHAW’s commitment to student-centered care and will help us to offer a continuum of care that reflects how students live, learn, and grow,” Herbers says.
—by Jeremy Shapiro