Njoki Mukuria’s Story of Impact and Wellbeing at Trinity
Wellbeing Wednesdays at Trinity provide relief for many students as they work through busy schedules and course loads. Students in the Trinity community often describe these days as mini-weekends that give a much-needed break during the middle of the week. Some grant opportunities for rest, while others dedicate their extra time to leading extracurricular activities and catching up on their academic work. Njoki Mukuria ’25, a Senior English and Philosophy double major, is among the many hardworking students on campus who find renewal in this important well-being initiative.
Mukuria, initially pursuing English as a major when starting college, decided to add a second major in Philosophy to her repertoire because she developed a passion for the field after taking a philosophy class with Dr. Aron Reppmann. Mukuria shares that she equally loves both majors because “English fuels my love of words as writers play with them to create beautiful narratives, and Philosophy is a lifestyle I enjoy leaning into and exploring more.” As an international student, she chose Trinity because of the supportive and enriching learning environment. While reflecting on her favorite experience thus far in her college journey, Mukuria states, “Through the challenging times college brings with its busy periods, academic stressors, and other personal struggles, I found that it was my friends who helped me feel like I could keep going. My roommates and my other international buddies have been pillars in my journey since they are the people who have given me joy and strength in my time at Trinity, making them the best part of the entire experience.” Having genuine friendships throughout college is central to student well-being, and she beautifully describes this truth.
On Wednesdays, Mukuria organizes biweekly evening gatherings for African Student Union members as the organization’s President. Building community and belonging within this group is important because she knows it helps students thrive. By incorporating time to sleep in and rest during the mornings when she does not have other meetings to attend, she feels like she can be at her best as a campus leader. Mukuria also enjoys making the most of this extra time to catch up on schoolwork at the local public library. She believes Wellbeing Wednesdays are necessary because they “provide us with space to pick up internships, rest, and have more time to work through homework and varied assignments. They give us space to breathe in both the leadup to the day and the day itself, allowing for time to recharge and reconnect before pushing through the second half of the week. Overall, this gap gives students back time they otherwise would not have on any other weekday to care for the various aspects of their health and overall well-being.”
Click here to learn more about Wellbeing Wednesdays and how Trinity is doing college differently.
