WKU News

“I used to be a dancer, so I always say that I dance for the kids that can’t,” said Tori Minteer, a WKU senior from Louisville studying psychology.

Minteer started dancing at the age of two, and danced competitively in high school. Now, she gives her time creating dances as one of the morale chairs for Dance Big Red, a WKU registered student organization that fundraises for Norton Children’s Hospital, and as an assistant coach for the Bowling Green Junior High School Dance Team.

As someone born six weeks early, staying in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for two weeks at Norton Children’s Hospital, Minteer wants to continue to support the place that was there for her from the beginning. For this reason, Minteer has volunteered with Norton since before beginning high school.

“The fact that they provide so much support to children is amazing,” Minteer said about Norton. She explained, “Getting to cheer on the kids - seeing all the things they are accomplishing, watching them ring the bell when they are done with chemo - is really sweet.”

Minteer has seen the support that she gives out come back to her since returning as a full-time student at WKU this fall. She spent some time away due to an eating disorder and came back as a campus warrior.

“There are lots of students that struggle with disordered eating or eating disorders and it can feel really lonely. So, coming back and being about to talk about my own recovery has really shown me that I am not alone, and it also opens the doors for other people to know that they are not alone.”

To tell students about the support around them, Minteer is working with Hilltopper Nutrition to bring Campus Warriors to WKU. Campus Warriors is an outreach initiative by the National Eating Disorders Association to engage colleges and universities. Students can participate even if they do not have an eating disorder.

Emphasizing the importance of support, Minteer also received ample support from faculty and staff since returning to WKU and hopes to return it. For example, she meets with the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences (CEBS) Dean Corinne Murphy weekly.

“Over the summer, I met with her to chat about me coming back to campus since I had been gone for a few months, to make sure coming back I would be all set and have the support I need,” Minteer said. “Then, classes started, and it became a thing where we would chat a bit and see how things were going.” Minteer described these meetings as a “Chip Check-in” because she is able to visit with Professor Chip, the emotional support therapy dog in CEBS. 

Minteer also interned at the Talley Family Counseling Center and will begin her master’s degree in the spring. The Talley Family Counseling Center located at WKU in Gary Ransdell Hall, provides mental health services free of charge to couples, families, individuals and groups.

“The impact that I would like to leave here at Western is that there is a community that loves you and accepts you for who you are and that there is also a place for you. And, if there is something that you are interested in, then bring it,” Minteer expressed. “If there is something that has impacted you before, bring that too because there is always opportunity for growth. And, everyone here wants you to grow into the person that will succeed and just do great things.

The 10th Anniversary of Dance Big Red will take place in March 2024. For more information about Dance Big Red visit linktr.ee/dancebigredwku.