“My mental health journey started with Wofford's counseling services,” says Geiger, who was diagnosed with depression and anxiety in her senior year. Perry Vandiver Henson ’96, director of counseling and accessibility services for Wofford, worked with Geiger to create a treatment plan. “We discussed a number of skills, such as mindfulness and meditation. I realized I had already been in a type of treatment through my Interim class on yoga.”
After Wofford, Geiger moved to Raleigh, N.C., where she continued to make mental health a priority, finding a yoga studio and continuing her connection with Henson. Geiger, however, quickly noted a lack of diversity in yoga and the wellness industry as a whole.
“Yoga has had a profound impact on my life and mental well-being,” she says, “but I realized that, much like therapy, it’s a privilege.” Fueled by a desire to make yoga accessible to a broader audience, Geiger decided to become an instructor herself. Her Wofford community supported her in a number of ways, including contributing to a crowdsourced fund for teacher training. “Wofford played a big part in my ability to teach. So many of the people who donated to the fund were classmates, especially ones who took the yoga course with me.”
Today, the Raleigh-based yogi is a senior digital strategist at Ruffalo Noel Levitz, a higher education marketing firm, and an instructor at Current Wellness, a wellness facility centering physical and mental health. Using social media, Geiger shares her wellness journey with followers in an effort to destigmatize mental health treatment, just as Henson did for her at Wofford.
Geiger says, “I often think, ‘What if I hadn’t gone to Wofford? What if I hadn’t taken that class?” Wofford prepared me for the world and shaped who I am today and who I see myself becoming in the future.”
By Leila Samhat