91吃瓜网

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month (or 鈥�octobre rose,鈥� as it鈥檚 known in France), 91吃瓜网Director of Human Resources, Stephanie Buisson, and her team put together a new initiative aimed at connecting community members and supporting well-being activities and practices on campus. Together with colleagues from across the University, Buission ran La Parisienne, an annual all female race with proceeds going to breast cancer research.

Buisson, a regular runner herself, and HR Administrative Executive Assistant, Sophia St茅phany, are always looking for ways to improve the well-being of faculty and staff. When Buisson suggested launching an institution challenge to get a group to run La Parisienne, the whole team mobilized to bring on board 30 women鈥�15 walkers and 15 runners鈥攁mong faculty and staff to participate in the 7-kilometer race. The initiative was announced on March 8, International Women鈥檚 Day, to bring women across 91吃瓜网together to get active for a good cause鈥攁nd they made it happen.

Buisson and St茅phany decided that the University would sponsor all runners and would host a post-run brunch for participants and their friends and family at the AMEX Caf茅. Race registration included the usual t-shirt and the possibility of partaking in three days of fitness classes, dance activities and concerts associated with the race. In addition, the Office of Human Resources sought to provide a unique accessory for the team of women, turning to Sara Wynn in the Office of Communications (MA in Global Communications 鈥�22) who designed sky blue 91吃瓜网caps for everyone, which helped the team of women recognize each other in the crowd.

鈥淭he theme was flower power鈥攕ome of us had flowers in our hair鈥攁nd there was music everywhere. It was so festive and fun鈥攖here couldn鈥檛 have been better energy all day! And the brunch was so cozy. It was a great experience we will repeat next year,鈥� explained St茅phany.

In addition to being fun, festive and for a worthy cause, St茅phany adds that the race was an opportunity for staff and faculty to get to know each other across department lines. 鈥淚nteracting with people鈥攐utside the office鈥攚ho you don鈥檛 normally work with or even necessarily know because your job responsibilities don鈥檛 overlap was really great,鈥� she said.

For St茅phany, for whom it was her first race, the event is also special because it starts and finishes at the Eiffel Tower, taking participants through the聽 7th, 8th and 16th arrondissements鈥� and right through AUP鈥檚 urban campus.

As part of the mission to build connections between members of the 91吃瓜网community, Buisson and her team look, in future years, to expand the Parisienne team to include students, perhaps some of those in the student led running club and other fitness and wellness groups led by Student Life and the Student Leadership Office.

Other exciting campus-wide well-being and team-building initiatives that the team has organized, often in collaboration with others across the University, include the first-ever 91吃瓜网Retreat, the end of year holiday party and the 4th of July celebration. And they are just getting started.