The wellness groups on campus are plentiful and available to all students. These wellness groups all have similar goals: to help students through tough times. Meeting once a month, the groups are designed to aid students with a variety of situations, from family trouble to internal struggles.

“The Student Wellness Program was created to support the overall well being of the students at Cathedral Catholic High School. They are not meant as counseling sessions, but rather they offer students an opportunity to meet with peers that are experiencing similar situations. Students have the opportunity during these gatherings to share individual stories, experiences, and garner
strength and support from those also in attendance,” said Dean of Students, Mrs. Marlena Conroy.

There are a total of three wellness groups, which are all student-led with adult moderators. The groups are Sturdy Wings, led by Adam Neff and Nieve Nelson, moderated by Mrs. Hilinski, Mr. Gramme and Father Kelly, Families in Transition (FIT) led by Wesley Settles and Paige Kelley and moderated by Father Kelly, and Aevidum, led by Samantha Ramiriez, Robbie Smith, Mika Schmeling, Eliza Lozano, and Lizzy Miller, moderated by Mrs. Pe, Mrs. Conroy, Mrs. Bascom, and Mrs. Jimenez, an outside family therapist.

According to Father Kelly, “All wellness meetings open with prayer and have  moderators who generally focus on subjects, however it is an open discussion for all to participate in. All students who want to speak can. The student leaders typically have a theme, that they want to talk about, for the meeting. Then the meetings close with prayer.”

The first of these groups, Sturdy Wings, according to Father Kelly “reaches out to faculty and students who have a family member or close friend who is ill or has died.” “The group reminds students that they are not alone during what can be a very difficult period. Father Kelly and other staff members assist the student lead wellness group through the spiritual and emotional journey of illness and loss,” said Mrs. Conroy.

The second of these groups, Families In Transitions (FIT), is designed for students and faculty who are going through transitions with their families. “It is important to have support when we have those inevitable transitions in our lives. The support gives us a positive foundation going forward,” said Wesley Settles. Wesley also went onto say, ” The stories that people share have brought in my perspective of life.”

The last of the wellness groups, Aevidum, is a “depression and suicide awareness and prevention initiative for high school students,” said Mrs. Conroy. “I first joined Aevidum my sophomore year because I knew the leader. I went on a spontaneous visit and enjoyed it,” said one of the leaders, Robbie Smith. “The reason why we like the group being student-led is because the student face makes it relatable for other students to join. This year, we’re trying to support not only each other, but the community as a whole.”

All of these groups are at Cathedral to help students. Said Robbie, “We want to be a resource for people to come to for any concern.”