Meet The New Heart of Mayfair Wellness, Ms. Lucchesi

Currently, Mayfair High School is welcoming a new a brand-new face to the campus: Ms. Lucchesi, the school's new wellness counselor. She is here to support students, listen to their concerns, help them let go of their “invisible backpacks,” and help us create a positive and welcoming environment. As she begins her new role at Mayfair-which I am really really excited about-I asked her some questions so we can get to know her, learn more about her, and what she wants to bring to the school.

Q: What made you want to become a wellness counselor?

A: “You know, I actually haven’t been a wellness counselor before, but I feel like I've been a counselor in all my positions. Over 19 years, I was a teacher in Paramount, I was in Long beach and when the position of wellness counselor came up, and I said ‘Okay, this is it. I think I’ve hit the jackpot cause no positions like this have ever arisen, and when I saw it I said, ‘Oh my gosh! I think this is gonna be in a perfect alignment with my values, what I care about, and how I wanna serve students best.’”

Q: What does a wellness counselor do at Mayfair High School?

A: “So, what I started to do is put systems in place that I’ve sent out to teachers. Students can get passes to the wellness center through Minga or through a referral. If a teacher is concerned about a student, they’ll email me. Students can fill out their own self-referral forms, which I’ve given every teacher, so they should be available in all teachers’ classrooms. I do classroom presentations as well. I’ve already met with over 320 kids in this room alone. For AVID and Success classes, I've done presentations, gone into classrooms, and supported the teachers. I’ve also been a part of parent meetings. Currently, I'm helping to educate all of our students on vaping-giving out 7th and 8th graders some education on the harmful effects of vaping, helping with assemblies, handeling different groups, and doing a lot of activities during lunch periods. I am doing activities, so look out on Minga or Instagram for all the things we’ll be doing.” 

Q: How do you help students manage stress from school, and can you help them during out of School hours?

A: “So, I am open during snack and lunch periods. I’m either in here or outside, so just check the calendar-my monthly calendar. You know, I think since I’m new here, I’m still getting to know the students. They aren’t just gonna open up to me right away; I need to get to know them, see what their interests are, and see what things they feel like are going well verses things that aren’t going so well. Then, we can come up with a plan of action. Whether they need school supplies- maybe they’re short on pencils or paper-well, guess what? We’re going to do what we can to alleviate the stress right here. I actually have a binder right here for a kid who hasn’t shown up yet because he’s been absent, but he told me he needed school supplies so I have that for him right now. There are a lot of things that we can do. I mean, just sitting with kids talking about their emotions-what they are actually feeling and getting to the root of the pain-is kind of where we need to build trust with kids before they can really let me know what they’re feeling and what's going on.” 

Q: What are your goals for your first year at Mayfair?

A: “My goal is to learn as many names as possible. I want to make sure I’m learning the kids’ names, and I want to make sure that as many kids as possible can see this room and know that it’s available to them if they need it. I might do classroom presentations or an assembly to have fun with the kids so they are happy, healthy, and thriving.”

Q: What is one message you would like to give to mayfair students? 

A:” I think despite what maybe you’ve gone through, or you’ve seen or endured, you can still become the best version of yourself with the right help, the right support, and the right encouragement. Surrounding yourself with people who are going to uplift you and be a light in your life is the right inspiration. Learn to see the signs in people early on; when they start showing you those red flags or even yellow flags, take a moment and say, ‘Hmm, is this going to serve my soul well, or is this something that is going to bring me down?’ So, really look inward and ask, ‘What can I do to make sure im becoming the best version of myself? Are these people helping me, or am I asking for the help that I need.’”

As I begin my last year at Mayfair and she starts her first, I am truly excited to see Ms. Lucchesi grow in her new role as wellness counselor. She has already started to become an important part of our school community. I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet her and learn more about her goals for Mayfair. I hope she is able to accomplish everything she hopes to achieve, and I personally will be supporting and cheering her on every step of the way. Welcome to Mayfair, Ms. Lucchesi! We are so happy and really excited to have you here.

Image Courtesy of Ms. Lucchesi.