After almost losing someone close to her by suicide, Wellness Wednesday founder and Emery/Weiner senior Chloe Heyl took the initiative to assist Emery students who may be affected by mental health on a larger scale as well as someone simply having an ‘off-day.’ To combat this, she introduced Wellness Wednesday: a fun, stressless way to spotlight mental health positively on all ends of the spectrum. This is done with the help of organizations coming to educate the Emery students on matters that can affect one’s mental health. In the fall of her junior year, Heyl, faced with a severe obstacle, thought to herself, “What can I do to help? I want to end the stigma, mental health is not a joke, and it needs to be taken seriously by schools as well.” 

Soon, the idea came to life with Heyls’ well-thought-out plan, “I first get my date using a calendar, and brainstorm what I want it to look like. Then I go to planning- how can I do this? Then, I send an email to my club and eventually talk to Larkin [the school counselor] and Langois [Wellness Wednesday Coordinator] for logistics to help bring the dead to life.”

The first Wellness Wednesday was a successful event, relieving the student body of much of its stress. Emery student Guya Babila claims, “As a junior, I am very stressed by the homework load in all classes while also working on the ACT. But, with the recent Wellness Wednesday, I was given the time to forget about school stress and relax.” 

Wellness Wednesday has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, leaving students excited to experience it when the time comes each month. So much so that when Oct. 19, (the first Wellness Wednesday of the 2022-2023 school year) rolled around, a crowd of 341 enthusiastic high school students made their way through the Commons doorway to the sounds of peaceful music. One by one, students picked the booth that excited them the most. Most students were called to the station offering smoothies and wellness shots after smelling the tangy aroma of ginger and lemon.  

Once finished with the delicious smoothies, many students gravitated towards the therapy dogs in a tent in the harbor. “This is Foo Foo,” a kind woman exclaimed, “She is a certified therapy dog.” The dog’s loud breathing and pink, long, joyful tongue hanging out of its mouth lured a significant number of students to question, “Can I pet it?” with a gentle pat to follow. 

As the Ma’amad time came to an end, a level of joy surrounded the Arbor; it was finally a time for students to be children. To forget about outside commitments for just a moment in time, allowing for a proficiently planned event with the help of Heyl, Larkin, Aimee Langois, and the Wellness Club. After being faced with this seemingly impossible problem, Heyl is grateful to be able to say her hope came true, because after inflicting personal stress on herself, and feeling like she isn’t doing enough to help the cause,  “Almost every day someone asks [her] when the next Wellness Wednesday will be.”