Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College athletic department will continue and expand its partnership with in-house mental health counselor Diana Cantalupo '14 for the 2023-24 academic year.
Cantalupo, a former Wagner tennis player, joined the department last year to work with the Seahawks' student-athletes to build upon Wagner College's existing mental health initiatives.
"Having Diana on board has been a huge asset to our student-athletes," Director of Athletics Brendan Fahey commented. "As an athletic department, we wanted to try and go out and see if we could supplement the services that Wagner College provides. We did some research, found Diana, and she's been fabulous for our student-athletes."
As part of the partnership with the licensed therapist, student-athletes can make appointments for individual 30-minute sessions. Additionally, Cantalupo offered training sessions for all of Wagner's coaches and administrators earlier this fall and will continue working with all members of the Wagner athletic department this academic year.
"Having somebody who is in the athletic department for their mental health needs the same way we have athletic trainers for all their physical needs just changes the way they see it, the way they think about it, and the way they talk about it," Cantalupo added. "Knowing that Wagner has done something for their athletes that made them feel cared about is huge."
On campus, Cantalupo works closely with Associate Athletic Director for Student Services Nicole Gaudenzi and other members of the Wagner staff to identify student-athletes' needs and offer treatment as necessary.
"[Cantalupo] is super relatable and approachable," Gaudenzi said. "I love that she knows Wagner and I think that really helps. She's honest and she's real. She doesn't try to be someone she's not when she's in her sessions, so I feel like you can go in there and have a real conversation and really open up to her and she's authentically herself."
Cantalupo earned her Bachelor's Degree in psychology with a Minor in educational studies from Wagner and also holds a Master's Degree in mental health counseling from the College of Staten Island. Apart from her work with the Seahawks, she has started her own private practice on Staten Island.
"I think it's great to have somebody that you can go to and just openly talk," Wagner Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president Kayla Barbosa added. "It's unbiased and it's really nice to have these conversations and have somebody who's there for you in a way that not everyone can be there for you."
Wagner currently sponsors 28 varsity sports and over 600 student-athletes. Mental health as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) campaigns are in partnership with Wagner's SAAC and the Northeast Conference (NEC).
