Room 309 is now the Wellness Room, where students can get a helpful “15-minute break”. In this 15-minute break, students are allowed to rest through relaxing and therapeutic activities. Including; napping, sitting down, coloring, puzzles, and sound and aromatherapy. “It gives students a timeout like in sports,” Mr. Hurtado, the school counselor said.

Additionally, the Wellness room will be open for the school’s psychologists, social workers, and student counselors. “Staff members and social workers plan to assist in running the Wellness room by taking turns to monitor students using the space,” school social worker Bristol Lopez said. Social workers in the Wellness room allow students to hold social-emotional groups and provide individual sessions for students.

Valentina Villarreal, a 2024 grad, and her team, worked with Waymakers to “create an overall set of goals and visions for the space,” Villarrael explained. The group’s passion for mental health advocacy inspired them to create the room, envisioning that students need accompanying resources for High School. They utilized vision boards, to make the space including fitting shades of colors, and a natural theme for the room’s atmosphere. They also helped come up with activities and coping mechanisms essential for students in the room.

The emphasis of student resources becomes relevant now more than ever in schools. Mr. Hurtado explained, “Our emphasis as academic counselors is making sure students are on track to graduate,” but, “without your mental being, all that is meaningless.” With the addition of the Wellness room, the importance of student balance can be achieved. “Forgetting to take care of myself got in the way of my academics,” Villarreal remembered.

The future for student resources has more potential since the Wellness room is added. Hopefully the utilization of the Wellness room will help the wellbeing of students.