Jan. 30, 2026
Aurora, CO – The Community College of Aurora (CCA) officially unveiled the Wellness Den during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its CentreTech Campus Student Center yesterday. Designed as a welcoming, centralized hub for student support, the Wellness Den serves as the home of the Office of Student Advocacy and brings together critical resources focused on student well-being and success.
Through the Wellness Den, students can access academic and career guidance, mental health support, food security resources, and other essential services removing barriers and helping make academic achievement more attainable. It’s the first space of its kind in the Colorado Community College System (CCCS).
The Wellness Den is more than just a collection of resources or a space where all of these services happen. It exists to remind the campus community that personal well-being is an important foundation for academic success,
said Beau Green, CCA’s Executive Director of Student Advocacy. Well-being is at the root of being able to go to college while providing for your family and working and being a good partner in your personal relationships. The way we show that reminder is through the friendly warmth of the team at the Wellness Den. Whether you’re meeting a wellness ambassador student employee or our coaches and staff, everyone is just happy to see you taking care of yourself.
That sense of care extends beyond a student’s time at CCA. The Wellness Den is intentionally designed to help students recognize when to ask for support and to reduce the stigma or hesitation often associated with seeking help. By learning how to prioritize and maintain personal well-being, students are better prepared to navigate the demands of their careers and lives after graduation.
The new space also strengthens a sense of connection and belonging across campus, ensuring that all students feel supported and valued. As the most diverse community college in Colorado, CCA serves learners with a wide range of experiences and needs including students managing mental health challenges, parenting students balancing limited resources, and more. The Wellness Den provides a supportive environment where these and many other students can access guidance, care, and resources that support their overall well-being.
,Food insecurity is the most common barrier to success that CCA students are currently experiencing according to our most recent Basic Needs Assessment. That kind of feedback we get is what drives our initiatives and the services we offer at the Wellness Den,
said Andrea Rascón, Project Coordinator for the Office of Student Advocacy. Students are also already feeling really connected to this space and wanting to voice what we could do in the future. That’s what makes the Wellness Den so special – students are taking ownership by forming the ways that the space and its services grow over time.
The Wellness Den is the product of the Division of Student Success’ work to connect student needs with community resources provided by funding from CCA’s student use fee and donor support from the Community College of Aurora Foundation (CCAF). The Division found that many students who receive benefits or government assistance often have access to one necessity, but are unable to afford another. This benefit gap motivated the Wellness Den’s model of offering all services to all students regardless of their situation.
A Peek Inside The Grand Opening
At the ribbon cutting event, CCA staff, partners, students, and faculty gathered in the space, connecting with one another while exploring the Den’s thoughtfully designed resources. Maroon shelves line Foxy’s Food Pantry, stocked with dry foods, canned items, and packaged goods, while an adjacent refrigerator offers access to fresh, perishable options. Black Care Cabinets provide an organized supply of sexual health products, personal hygiene essentials, and school supplies. Nearby, Kit Corner features a colorful carpet of animal illustrations, inviting children to browse books and play with toys. The space is intentionally comfortable and welcoming, with lounge seating, a cozy couch area, and two fish tanks that add a calming presence of aquatic life and greenery.
CCA’s mascot, Foxy, dressed in a bow tie and formal wear, joined the celebration for the official ribbon cutting following remarks from Beau Green, CCA student body president, Samantha Anfield, Executive Director of CCAF, John Wolfkill, and Vice President of Student Success, Dra. Reyna Anaya.
CCA staff, partners, students, and faculty gathered in the Wellness Den.
The Wellness Den represents a simple but powerful truth: student success is more than just being in the classroom. When students are worried about food, housing, transportation, caregiving responsibilities, or their mental health, education becomes more challenging. This space exists to break through all those barriers,
said Dra. Anaya. We are especially proud that the Wellness Den is the first of its kind in the Colorado Community College System. This reflects CCA’s leadership in reimagining what student support looks like when we lead with equity, dignity, and access, not as add-ons, but as core to our mission.
CCA’s Division of Student Success made the Wellness Den the first of its kind in the Colorado Community College System.
Although the Wellness Den officially opened this month, the Office of Student Advocacy has offered its resources and services for years. In fact, these offerings have earned CCA several certifications and designations that are now proudly on display in the space. These designations include:
- FamilyU Seal, for work in supporting parenting students
- Hunger Free and Healthy Minds, for addressing food insecurity and access to mental health resources
- Food Recovery, for food recovery and hunger-relief initiatives
- Swipe Out Hunger, for significant steps taken to address hunger on campus
One of Many CCA Support Services
The Wellness Den is housed within the CentreTech Campus Student Center alongside other key student service spaces, including the academic-focused RISE Center and the Fox Zone, a welcoming community space designed to foster connection and belonging. Together, these spaces create a centralized hub where students can access academic support, personal resources, and community in one location.
Students can access similar wellness-focused resources at the college’s additional locations. Foxy’s Resource Center at the Centennial Campus for Healthcare and First Responders and the Student Lounge at Lowry Studios offer many of the same supports, including snack stations, menstrual products, and essential supplies, ensuring students have access to care no matter which campus they attend.
Students are encouraged to visit the Wellness Den or their campus resource space to learn more about available services and supports. Additional information about student advocacy resources and hours of operation are available here on CCA’s website or in person at the CentreTech Campus Student Center.
About the Community College of Aurora
The Community College of Aurora (CCA) provides high-quality instruction and student support services to Aurora, Centennial, and Denver, Colorado. With a vision to aspire to be a college where every student succeeds, CCA is the most diverse college in the State of Colorado. Focused on creating social and economic mobility for its students, the college offers courses on three campuses, online, and through its high school concurrent enrollment programs. For more information, visit www.ccaurora.edu.
Contact:
Courtney Butler
Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Special Initiatives
Strategic Communications and Alumni Engagement
P: 303-340-7201 | E: [email protected]