Jessie’s Dedication to Student Wellbeing

Becoming the Wellbeing Captain is a big responsibility. It requires dedication, passion, and genuine care for the wellbeing of others. Many people might wonder what motivates someone to take on this challenging role. For some, it may be a personal experience that inspires them to promote positive mental health and wellness in their school community. To be honest, I struggled a little bit at the beginning of my high school journey. After getting help and improving my mental health, I understood how much it meant to talk to someone about their mental state and how helpful it could be. This personal experience drove me to apply for Wellbeing Captain in the hope of offering comfort and support to others.

The Mental Health Ambassadors (MHA) and I have spent meetings discussing new ideas and ways to improve on these, which we hope to implement at the College. Students may have noticed posters on the back of toilet doors showing breathing techniques. This is something we have implemented, hoping to help reduce stress among students. We have had good feedback on this, which is a positive reflection of our work so far. At the moment, we are working on projects touching on topics of kindness and men’s mental health, which we believe, if approved, students will benefit from learning about.

At school, I continuously try to encourage conversations about mental health by making sure classmates know they can come to me without judgment. I try to create a space where mental health issues are normalised and not stigmatised, ensuring friends and classmates are comfortable. I do my best to remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues by making others feel heard, informing others and staying informed myself to grasp a full understanding.

Inclusivity and diversity are very important aspects of being the Wellbeing Captain, and the whole Student Leadership Council is very passionate about these topics. When coming up with new initiatives, we consider whether every student will be comfortable. To promote inclusivity, we use the MHAs to express the voices of their fellow students. They express whether new initiatives would be a good fit for students, which in turn makes it easier to cater to the needs of everyone and make everyone’s voice heard.

With the success of our breathing technique posters around the school, we hope to implement more self–care and stress management. On the Mental Health Strategy tab on SEQTA there are many resources regarding stress and coping strategies. I refer students to these resources as it is full of information. It has proven very helpful, even for me.

Wellbeing is such an important part of students’ lives. To thrive in school and life, you have to be well, physically and mentally. Mental health has been hushed for many years, and with growing research, it is finally starting to grow in conversations. Students need to hear about it to know if they are going through it. We try to educate students on it as much as possible. It’s also important because most people don’t seek help. They are often confused or not informed about what is happening to them, which is why we believe educating students on mental health and wellbeing is so important.