Staff Spotlight: Allison Seeley leans into conversation and community to support students
As a health promotion specialist with Student Health and Wellness Services, Seeley is dedicated to helping Brown students develop the skills necessary for lifelong health and well-being.
Allison Seeley has been working at Brown for nearly three years as a health promotion specialist focusing on relationship empowerment and interpersonal violence prevention. Photos by Nick Dentamaro/Brown University.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — If one gauges success by the people they’re surrounded by, Allison Seeley feels on top of the world.
In just three years, the Maryland native says she has found a community at Brown University that has made an indelible mark on her life through her role in BWell Health Promotion as a specialist focusing on relationship empowerment and interpersonal violence prevention.
One of the five departments within Brown’s Student Health and Wellness Services, BWell’s charge is to equip students with the education and resources necessary to advance their wellness and navigate issues ranging from sexual health to relationships and stress management.
A key component of BWell’s work is its peer education programs, which Seeley supports directly — and to which each of Brown's approximately 11,000 undergraduate, graduate and medical students have access. From developing curricula to training new peer educators, Seeley meets frequently with peer education coordinators — the Brown students who lead the programs — to ensure they have the resources and support to host successful events and workshops.
This new Q&A series showcases Brown’s talented, innovative employees who are working across schools and departments to make an impact through their wide-ranging skills, passions and contributions.
Seeley has experienced firsthand the ways that supporting students to advance their physical and mental well-being empowers them to thrive academically and go on to achieve meaningful lives and careers.
In this Q&A, Seeley reflects on the values that drive her career, strategies for perseverance in an emotional line of work, and the immense pride that comes with watching students thrive throughout their journeys at Brown.
Q: What drew you to this career, and how did it lead you to Brown?
When I was an undergraduate student, I was really focused on neuroscience. Then, in my final semester of college, I was able to take two courses — one on sexual health, and an anthropology course on gender — and they were so illuminating to me. It completely changed my career trajectory. I decided to pursue a path that would be primarily focused on reproductive justice, which I’m very passionate about. When I found this job at Brown, I was so impressed by the BWell team, the resources allocated to this department, and the longevity of the legacy of Brown’s sexual assault prevention education program. In the past, I’ve explored career paths where my passion and connection to the mission weren’t exactly the driving factor. But in my life here, the work is inspiring, it’s uplifting and I can feel the difference it makes in our students’ lives.
In her cozy, plant-filled office, Allison Seeley meets with Brown undergraduate students and BWell peer education facilitators Emma Rosenthal and Riki Doumbia, far left.
Q: How do BWell’s programs strengthen the student experience at Brown?
All of the training that led up to my career in public health has informed me of the importance of meeting students’ basic needs. The more we can support them in caring for their physical, mental and social well-being, the better everything else is going to be: They’re going to be better students, better professionals, and they’re going to be able to contribute to their communities in more meaningful and impactful ways. BWell programming is one of many resources at Brown that help students build fulfilling relationships, find tools that support their well-being and be part of a community that looks out for one another. Research shows that social connections and a supportive environment are essential for health and resilience, and that’s exactly what we’re here to foster — a community where everyone has what they need to care for themselves and each other.
Q: What makes you most proud about working at Brown?
Being part of a student’s growth in their time here is an honor. Sometimes, we’ll have students arrive at Brown who are nervous about public speaking or never written a curriculum or workshop. To see them after one or two years, developing these new skills and then passing those skills onto other students they work with — it just fills me with so much pride. I’ve had students who have since graduated who have gone on to do really amazing work and have such meaningful impacts on their own communities, and to witness that is such a privilege. This work is heavy, and much of it can be challenging. Getting communities to care about consent and interpersonal dynamics is hard at times, so to see our students maintain that community connection — that joy, that laugher, that love — is really special.
Q: In a position like yours, which prioritizes the needs of others, how do you ensure you’re also taking care of yourself?
Part of it is maintaining the connection to the vision and mission, which are so deeply important to me. Even on my hardest days, it is helpful to remind myself of why I’m here. We have this motto in our office: “Never worry alone.” So when things get hard, we know that we can always turn to each other to address whatever is challenging us.
And then, of course, having a life outside of work is really important. I love the restaurant scene here in Providence. I’m in a book club, and we’ll read a book each month and meet up at a place where we can eat really good food, drink some good drinks and chat about the books that we have read. It’s not always easy to do, but I find joy in creative pursuits. I’ve become really involved in pottery, and I’ve built a little community at a local studio where I’m a member. My goal with pottery is to practice the art of imperfection: being unpracticed at something, but enjoying the process of learning and not giving up on myself. When I’m making something in the studio — even if I have no plan for it, even if it goes terribly at first — I will get so much joy from taking that final product and sharing it with the people around me.
Q: Do you have a favorite spot on campus?
We have a meeting room in our suite that we call our “family room.” I go there for meetings, but I also spend a lot of time in there co-working with my colleagues and chatting with students. We have this big dry erase board in there where our students will leave little notes and doodles, so it’s always fun to come into that space and see what new notes or drawings have popped up. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to know our colleagues at the LGBTQ and Sarah Doyle centers. It’s a similar vibe to the family room: there’s art everywhere, comfortable seating and incredible people. Whenever I get the opportunity to go over there, I do. It’s a lovely walk, and they always have tea or coffee set up to welcome you.
Q: Is there a particular interaction or moment at Brown that you’ll never forget?
In my first few weeks here, I felt very new. I was getting to know the campus, the community, the programming, and I was meeting with hundreds of students and staff; it was pretty overwhelming. But one day, I came back to my office and there was a little note on my door that was covered in hearts, signed “B-TEAM.” It was just a small gesture from the student leaders for one of the peer ed programs that I would be working with, but it carried me through my entire first year that I was here. Their warmth and love and care were reflected in every interaction I had with them, and it was like I could see that every time I looked at that little note. It’s been two years, and the B-TEAM hearts are still here.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering building a career at Brown?
Brown has this vast network of incredible people who care very deeply about their work, so getting to know them is absolutely pivotal. Finding connections with someone who cares about something similar to you, but maybe takes a different angle because they work in a different department, is going to bear really beautiful fruit.