October 12, 2023

As much of life returns to the patterns and rhythms of the pre-pandemic world, schools and organizations are continuing to observe and experience the effects of the COVID-19 disruption on the academic, social, and emotional development of our students and staff. Some schools have created a Director of Wellness position in an effort to assess the immediate needs of the community and to develop a comprehensive wellness program that will support them. Last year was my first year serving as University High School of Indiana’s first Director of Wellness. The primary function of this role is to create and implement a wellness framework to support students, faculty, staff, and the parent/caregiver community. 

Prior to this new role, I served as the Co-Director of College Counseling for seven years and witnessed first-hand how stressful the process of applying to colleges can be for students and families. At University, we emphasize good fit when advising students in creating a college list, which includes not only academic, but social, environmental, and cultural fit as well. For many families, this is a new and intimidating process to navigate, but luckily for independent schools, there are people on staff specifically dedicated…