Students at Mission Bay High now have a dedicated space on campus where they can seek help, advice and a welcoming environment where they can just step away momentarily from the hubbub of high school life.
Gloria Cota, Mission Bay High School’s Wellness Center Coordinator, along with school and district officials, celebrated the official opening of the campus’s new Wellness Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 2.
The center is the reality of Cota’s 18-month vision for a quality, student centered and student led on-campus space where teens can go to relax, refocus and recharge.
“The Wellness Center is a reset zone,” said Kate Edra, program development specialist for nursing and wellness for San Diego Unified School District. “Whether a student needs 15 minutes to breathe, a trusted adult to talk to or a group activity to feel connected, this space meets them with empathy and intention.”
Several speakers acknowledged and thanked San Diego Unified School District and campus staff for the planning and organizing that made MBHS’s Wellness Center possible. But the three speeches given by students were by far the most impactful, emotional and heartfelt.
Senior Cynthia Lopez Guerrero, a student campus leader in the First Gen Club and the Cesar Chavez Service Club, shared that when she first came to Mission Bay High she wasn’t sure where she fit in.
“The hallways felt a little too big, the classrooms a little too quiet, and I kept wondering if anyone else felt the same way,” Lopez Guerrero said. “Maybe you have felt that way too — like you’re just trying to find your people, your place, your purpose.
“That all started to shift when I ed clubs and found staff who ed me — mentors like Ms. Cota, who believed in me before I believed in myself,” Lopez Guerrero said. “At the time I did not think that showing up for a lunchtime meeting or staying after school would change things much. But those spaces gave me something I didn’t realize I needed — connection. They made me feel seen, heard and understood. Suddenly, I wasn’t just a face in the crowd — I was part of something. And that’s what this Wellness Center is all about, too.”
Lopez Guerrero added, “We all deserve to belong. We all deserve a space that sees us. That s us. And for many students that space is right here.”
Junior Yemaya Bruce is a member of the on-campus group Mediums For Mental Health. She described the Wellness Center as a “student-centered space that feels inclusive for everyone and s all different aspects of our lives.
“I will continue to endorse wellness centers, especially as a woman of color,” Bruce said. “I understand the importance of representation and my role in shattering stereotypes, destigmatizing approaching mental health, addressing health disparities, being a voice for students who may not feel comfortable, and creating pathways to a more equitable society. To be trailblazer with wellness efforts across the district is an amazing journey to be part of.”
Bruce said the center is “a place that students feel a sense of ownership and pride in, a place of creativity, quiet time or building connection. To find a cozy seat to take a mindful minute, to have a shoulder to cry on, access resources beyond the academic space, or even a place just to breathe.”
Junior Tegan Grzyb focused her remarks on “something that doesn’t get brought up often enough: what it’s like to need and how hard it can be to actually ask for it.
“High school is a lot more than just our academic work,” Grzyb said. “For a lot of us it is about trying to hold it together while dealing with stuff that people don’t always see or even understand. Sometimes the hardest part is just knowing where to go. Or not feel ashamed to ask for help or walk in the door.
“I’ve gone into the Wellness Center on some of my best days and some of my toughest days,” Grzyb said. “I’ve been met with acceptance, kindness and genuine intention and care. To me the Wellness Center has been the ive place I’ve needed to take a minute and regroup without any pressure or discomfort.
“We don’t always know what someone else is carrying with them when they walk through school, but the Wellness Center is a community that helps students so that they feel less alone,” Grzyb said.
She added, “(The center) changes things. It doesn’t solve everything, but it gives students motivation. I see the effort our Wellness Center puts into destigmitizing mental well-being and providing access and to students.
“These small details, the music, the comfy chairs, even the calming color scheme add up … they don’t go unnoticed by us students,” Grzyb said. “So thank you all for being here today to wellness and the Wellness Centers across our district.”
