For Katie Merrill, a 33-year-old graduate student from Morgantown in long-term recovery, it was a chance encounter with adjunct professor Jon Dower (’22) in one of her mental health and addiction studies courses that brought her through the doors at Serenity Place. “Listening to the passion in Jon’s voice as he shared his experiences working in the recovery community and how he positively changed the trajectory of other lives as the executive director of West Virginia Sober Living inspired me to get involved,” Merrill said.
“The next day — without hesitation — I went to Serenity Place to see how I could get involved with the Collegiate Recovery Program. When I walked through the door I could feel a warm embrace, and at that moment, I knew my life was about to change — it was a beautiful feeling.”
Established in 2016, Collegiate Recovery, which operates out of Serenity Place at Arnold House, is a campus-based, peer support program dedicated to helping students find community and balance a healthy lifestyle at West Virginia University.
Merrill believes she has come full circle since meeting Dower, who was instrumental in the program’s creation. She credits Collegiate Recovery for her many successes in life – most importantly, maintaining recovery. Not only did she “find her people at Serenity Place,” Merrill went on to earn her bachelor's degree in mental health and addiction studies, graduating in December 2023 with a cumulative 4.0 GPA. An aspiring school counselor, she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in counseling.
She serves on the Collegiate Recovery Steering Committee alongside Dower and has learned to identify students who need help and gained the confidence to refer these students to the WVU CARE Team. Merrill also serves as a Mountaineer Fellow, an innovative collaboration between WVU and Harrison County Public Schools.
‘A sense of belonging’
As an undergraduate, not only was Merrill looking to get involved and maintain sobriety, but like most Gen Z students today, she was also looking for community.
Often described by students as a home-away-from-home, Serenity Place is filled with comfy furniture surrounded by vivid wall art and a long wooden dining room table where students sit and chat, journal, make crafts, tutor each other and study for exams. With its large flat-screen TV and laid-back vibe, not to mention a well-stocked kitchen, Serenity Place has also become home to well-attended Mountaineer watch parties that follow the Collegiate Recovery Sober Tailgates.
"In college, friendships are often created at bars, parties, tailgates and other traditions centered on alcohol," Serenity Place Director Olivia Pape said. "With Collegiate Recovery, students don’t have to miss out on the traditional college experiences."
The first to be raised with the internet and social media, Gen Z is the loneliest generation the world has seen. Recent surveys show that 73% of young adolescents up to the age of about 27 often feel disconnected and yearn for more meaningful friendships. Research has shown that loneliness can have detrimental effects on mental health, and its mortality effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Those who lack a sense of belonging have a higher risk of misusing substances that may lead to addiction and dropping out of college. Studies estimate that 30-50% of college students either personally struggle with addiction or have a close family member or friend who does.
“A personal journey varies from student-to-student, and I can’t stress enough that we are here to honor and support all pathways to recovery,” Pape said. “We welcome students who are struggling with addiction and depression, those seeking to moderate or limit substance use, those facing gambling and eating disorders, as well as those affected by someone else’s substance use and students who experience none of these but want to serve as allies.”
The Collegiate Recovery Program aligns with the University’s commitment to provide high-quality education while fostering students’ well-being in a culture of caring through inclusive campus activities.
Available in person and online, all programming is designed and led by students with input from Pape and staff member Andrew Caryl, who credit their careers to their own early involvement in the program. From outdoor activities like mountain biking and white water rafting to support groups and mindfulness sessions held in the Serenity Place yoga studio, Collegiate Recovery offers students activities that fit their individual needs.
Students can also relax while engaging in activities such as painting, macramé and jewelry-making. Loved Ones Coffee Hour offers a cozy space to enjoy coffee and snacks while connecting with others who have been directly affected by addiction in their families and communities. Students can also attend the All-Recovery Meeting, while students working a 12-step recovery program attend Narcotics Anonymous.
Preston Quigley, a sophomore from Lafayette, Indiana, said attending NA meetings at Serenity Place as a non-WVU student changed his life. “I was attending NA regularly and Collegiate Recovery was a huge help while I was trying to figure out my life,” Quigley said. “The support I received soothed my anxiety and helped me feel confident enough to apply to WVU. None of this would have been possible without the compassion and care from the staff at Serenity Place.”
Most of the weekly events focus on gratitude and mindfulness, evidence-based practices that have been shown to benefit mental health by removing negative thoughts. Practicing mindfulness has been found to enhance interpersonal relationships, academic performance and resilience.
Scientific studies have found that while expressing gratitude, human brains release dopamine and serotonin, two important neurotransmitters that regulate moods and emotions. Students can begin each weekday morning by expressing gratitude in Start Your Day Right, while the Mindful Recovery Group and Color Me Mindful offer opportunities to engage in other mindfulness activities.
Collegiate Recovery also provides a safe space for students seeking to improve their relationship with food and body through the Nourish Community. The group is led by Sadie
Holland, a senior mental health and addiction studies major from Charleston whose passion to help others was propelled by the opioid crises in her hometown. Holland said she never imagined that a Work-Study job she heard about from her academic adviser would shape her life, “I am so fortunate to find a place where I can help myself and others be the best version of themselves. The program allows me to continue evolving through mindful and intentional practices and foster a supportive community for students.”
Nearly 4,000 students have been a part of Collegiate Recovery since August 2021, and an average of 182 students per month participated in Serenity Place’s activities in the 2023-24 academic year. In addition, more than 1,500 student Recovery Allies have been trained since August 2020. The program also coordinates with WELLWVU to offer naloxone training and has overseen the installation of lifesaving ONEboxes across campus, which are emergency opioid overdose reversal kits.
