The Wolverine Support Network (WSN) offers peer-facilitated support groups (6-10 students per group) that are cost-free and private for all U-M students. Weekly Groups are led by students who have been trained with holistic health and well-being resources to create a refreshingly accessible space and facilitate inclusive and engaging dialogue.
Participation:
Wolverine Support Network is open to all U-M undergraduate and graduate students.
Structure:
In collaboration with Kayla Douglas, the CAPS Liaison for WSN, we work to maintain our support model designed to meet students where they are at.
The WSN Model includes our Group Members, Facilitators, Organizing Team, and Director Team, each working together to foster an accessible, private, and inclusive environment for mental health advocacy.
Visit our About page to discover where you fit best and how WSN can best support you.
Availability & Meetings:
Support groups meet Monday–Thursday between 4–9 p.m. at various campus locations — you choose what works best for you! Sign-ups stay open all semester at umichwsn.org/join.
Our Organizing Team and Facilitators meet weekly for planning and training on topics like group dynamics, trust-building, and stress management. Learn more about OT and Facilitator meetings on their respective pages on our website.
Anushka Patil
Executive Director
Year: Senior
Major: Biology, Health and Society, with a minor in Philosophy
As Executive Director, she oversees and sustains the projects of the general Director Team, working in conjunction with WSN's Managing Director. Additionally, she serves as a liaison for WSN's institutional partnerships, both on and off campus.
Hadley Katzman
Managing Director
Year: Senior
Major: Public Health Sciences with a minor in Biology
As Managing Director, she works in conjunction with the Executive Director to sustain WSN's growth, coordinates WSN's Organizing Team, handles internal tasks and room bookings, and oversees the daily functions of the organization.
Lejla Pargan
Director of Facilitator Development
Year: Senior
Majors: Cognitive Science, Psychology, and Philosophy
As Director of Facilitator Development, she serves as the primary point of contact for all support group facilitators, oversees facilitator recruitment, and manages facilitator education.
Emma Stacy
Director of Marketing & Design
Year: Junior
Majors: Organizational Studies and Psychology
As WSN's Director of Marketing and Design, she leads marketing strategy, designs merchandise, manages social media, and heads tabling initiatives while collaborating on outreach efforts. Emma also co-leads the Voices OT committee, supporting diverse student perspectives through media presence.
Nicole Bakhmutsky
Director of Business Development
Year: Junior
Major: Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience
As Director of Business Development, Nikki maintains the budget from university sponsors, coordinates fundraising opportunities, and oversees the financial growth of WSN.
Jack Faulkner
Director of Communications
Year: Senior
Majors: Neuroscience and minoring in LGBTQ and Sexuality Studies
As Director of Communications, he works to outreach to organizations across campus, send out the newsletter, and promote WSN events to the larger campus community.
Saloni Naik
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Year: Junior
Major: Political Science with a double minor in Law, Justice, & Social Change and Public Policy
As Director of DEI, she works to enhance the facilitator, Organizing Team, and member experiences, foster connections with campus organizations, and resolve community conflicts.
Graciela Batlle Cestero
Director of Operations
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology with a minor in Writing
As Director of Operations, she is responsible for the member placement process, ensuring that WSN's peer support groups run in a smooth and timely manner. She also collects data on the internal and external workings of WSN to account for historical patterns of organizational growth throughout the years.
Ananya Gera
Director of Program Development
Year: Senior
Major: Public Health Sciences
As Director of Program Development, she attends and presents at mental health conferences on behalf of WSN, builds new programming initiatives, and supports relationships with organizations on and off campus.