This year South El Monte High School has a new therapist in the Wellness Center. Her name is Ms. Saucedo and she is very happy to be here and is eager to help any students in need. The Wellness Center is open from 8am to 4pm in room 229 for all students. There are many resources available in the wellness center so students can have a healthier mind and get any help they need.

 Ms. Saucedo became a therapist because of her brother, “My brother had issues with mental health when he was younger, and as minorities my parent’s didn’t know how to get him help, so he got into trouble and ended up in prison.” She doesn’t want students to feel like they have nobody to help them with their mental health issues. Mental health is very important for students, Ms. Saucedo stated, “It’s highly important, we think that physical health is important which it is, but mental health is also a part of it, it’s crucial for high school students to have mental check-ins which are available in the wellness center.” 

The Wellness Center was recently remodeled and moved to a different location. Originally the wellness center was in the office, but they moved, and now the wellness center is its own classroom. Sophomore Alex Medina told me that he enjoyed the wellness center because he’s able to relax and take time for himself before heading back to class.  Walk-ins are accepted in the wellness center and wellness breaks during classes are allowed too. Wellness breaks usually last about 20 minutes, but they could be longer depending on the situation. Workshops are also available, and recently there were wellness Wednesdays because May was mental health awareness month.

Ms. Saucedo is happy to be at South El Monte High School, “I really like this school it’s a smaller campus, but that makes it unique and everybody is very supportive.” She has many plans for the future with her new position. Ms. Saucedo expressed her goals for the foreseeable future, “I’m excited to get to explore and bring guest speakers for you student’s so you could learn more about Mental Health.” She shared her experience having a coordinators position in college, and she’s excited to coordinate events at South, “and now it’s more exciting because it’s mixed with mental health which is my career.”

Many students struggle with mental health issues, but don’t speak up about it and get the help they need. About 20% of all teens suffer from depression before they reach adulthood. The Wellness Center and Ms. Saucedo are here to help anybody who needs it. Some mental health tips Ms. Saucedo has for students is, “Put yourself first, have time for yourself because self care is very important, and even though it might be hard, reach out to someone.”