About Us
Health Promotion Services
Mission:
Health Promotion Services supports the academic and personal success of all students by providing public health leadership to the campus community and accessible, inclusive health and wellness services.
Goals:
1. Provide medically accurate and research-informed health services, programs and presentations.
2. Provide mentorship to cultivate peer educators as leaders and advocates for violence prevention and health promotion.
3. Collaborate with on and off-campus stakeholders to enhance best practice health promotion and develop future partnerships.
4. Utilize an intersectional lens to inform health promotion and violence prevention efforts.
The prevention and educational services offered address a variety of health issues, including violence, nutrition, stress and time management, sexual health, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. Our services include educational materials, outreach presentations, special events and health consulting. Our health promotion team consists of professionally trained health educators, peer health educators and support staff working together to achieve the learning mission of the university.
Julie Eckert, M.Ed., MCHES |  I'm an Ally! |
| Assistant Director, Student Health Center | |
| M.Ed., Health Education, Texas State University | |
| BS, Health Education, Texas State University | |
| E-mail: je12@txstate.edu |
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Learn more about Julie
Julie received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Health Education from Texas State University. She has been an Assistant Director of the Student Health Center since 2010. Julie plans, coordinates and supervises educational outreach and prevention services through peer education, social marketing, health data collection and other effective health promotion strategies. Prior to the Assistant Director position, she was a Peer Education and Health Education Coordinator at the Texas State Alcohol and Drug Resource Center. Julie is a member of the Division of Student Success Health and Well-Being Steering Committee and Awards and Recognition Team. Julie is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES).
In her free time she enjoys movies, yoga, salsa dancing and Dallas Cowboys Football.
Kelsey Banton, M.S. | I'm an Ally! |
| Health Promotion Specialist | |
MS, Public Health Education and Promotion, Texas State University BA, Psychology, Texas Tech University | |
| Email: k_b260@txstate.edu |
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Learn more about Kelsey
Kelsey Banton is a Health Promotion Specialist at Texas State University. She is an advisor for Students Against Violence and Healthy Cats and addresses sexual violence, dating/domestic violence, stalking, and harassment in the Texas State community. She has worked to prevent sexual violence as an advocate, activist, and educator for 13 years, focusing largely on the intersections of violence and social justice. She has worked and volunteered at domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers and child advocacy centers across Texas. Prior to joining Texas State, Kelsey worked for San Antonio Rape Crisis Center as the Director of Education and Training where she facilitated youth-based groups and trained on the multi-disciplinary issues of interpersonal violence for diverse populations. Her work has allowed her to develop trainings and programming for violence prevention educators, military personnel, law enforcement, medical professionals, university faculty and staff members and school-based personnel locally and statewide. She was invited in 2010 to sit on the Texas Primary Prevention Planning Committee, which directs strategies and evaluation efforts for implementation of sexual violence prevention across the state of Texas. While earning her B.A. in Psychology at Texas Tech University, she served her community as an online and hospital advocate for survivors.
Alicia Rosas | I'm an Ally! |
| Health Promotion Specialist | |
| BS, Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences and Youth Development, Texas Tech University | |
| Email: a_r430@txstate.edu |
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Learn more about Alicia
Alicia Rosas is a Health Promotion Specialist at Texas State University. In this role, she serves as an Advisor for Healthy Cats and works to design and implement programs and strategies to keep the Texas State community healthy. She previously served as the Youth Engagement Specialist at Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth, a statewide nonprofit organization focused on youth substance use prevention, and as an Academic Coach at Texas Tech University, promoting learning strategies and healthy study habits for students. Additionally, Alicia serves as a volunteer on various statewide and national youth leadership teams, including Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership (HOBY) and Extreme Youth Leadership (EYL). She received her undergraduate education in Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences and Youth Development from Texas Tech University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Public Health Education and Promotion. Alicia enjoys long-distance running, volunteering, spending time with her cats, and road-trips with her friends and family.
Marisa Montelongo, M.S., CHES | I'm an Ally! |
| Health Promotion Specialist | |
BS, Community Health, Texas A&M University MS, Public Health Education and Promotion, Texas State University | |
| Email: mmonte@txstate.edu |
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Learn more about Marisa
Marisa is a Health Promotion Specialist at Texas State University where she serves as an advisor for Students Against Violence (SAV), a peer health student organization which focuses on primary prevention of sexual violence, intimate partner/dating violence, and sexual harassment. SAV facilitates presentations and activities for the campus community on issues such as consent, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention. Marisa also delivers presentations on sexual health, mental health, and alcohol/drugs. She received her bachelor’s degree in Community Health from Texas A&M University and her master's degree in Public Health Education and Promotion from Texas State University. Marisa is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®). In her free time, Marisa likes to travel, read, and spend time with her dog Vinny.
Nikki Rioux | I'm an Ally! |
| HPS Student Assistant | |
| Undergraduate Art major with a minor in Business | |
| Email: axb7@txstate.edu |
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Learn more about Nikki
Nikki Rioux is the HPS Student Assistant under Health Promotion Services. She’s in her final year at TXST and majoring in Art with a minor in Business. Nikki has a passion for all things creative—ceramics, crocheting, drawing, painting, and more! She also loves animals, but cats have her heart.
Ashlin Brown | I'm an Ally! |
| Graphic Designer | |
| Undergraduate Communication Design Major | |
| Email: uwm5@txstate.edu |
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Learn more about Ashlin
Ashlin Brown is a Graphic Design Assistant under Health Promotion Services. She’s a Communication Design major in her third year here at Texas State. She’s always loved to create and has a strong love for the arts. Her happy place is being curled up with a book in her hand and a cat on her lap.
Natalie Romo | I'm an Ally! |
| Marketing Assistant | |
| Undergraduate Advertising major with a minor in Art | |
| Email: vzi8@txstate.edu |
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Learn more about Natalie
Natalie Romo is a Marketing Assistant under Health Promotion Services at Texas State University. In this role, she manages the marketing on Students Against Violence, Healthy Cats, and Student Recovery Alliance social media platforms. Natalie is a junior at Texas State, majoring in advertising and minoring in art. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, drawing, and having fun with her friends and family.
Meet our Healthy Cats Staff
Meet our Students Against Violence Staff
