Ashlie Czelatka, a social worker at Bellows Free Academy, is now the advisor for a new program: The Well-Minded Group. 

When asked by The Mercury why she wanted to create the group, Czelatka said, “High school is stressful, and a lot of students deal with anxiety and depression on top of that.” She also said that “I think a lot of students kind of find themselves drowning without any outlets.”

This gave her an idea: why not create a space where all students can access the support they need while building a sense of community? 

And thus the Well-Minded Group was born. The group plans to meet in the small cafeteria from 10 to 10:55 a.m. during the Wednesday Enrichment. As advertised on their posters, the club aims to create a “supportive and motivational environment” that will improve students’ overall well-being. 

Czelatka said that “All students are welcome. We would love to see anybody, even if it’s just a break for them in their day to come and hang out with us.” 

As to what a typical meeting will look like, the group is flexible. According to Czelatka, her main goal is to meet students’ needs while building a sense of community and support, and there is no one way to do that. 

Czelatka said she is excited for the meetings to start, but a lack of attendance has prevented the program from taking off. She encourages students to reach out if they have any questions regarding the group, saying that she “hope[s] that people feel welcomed and that if they have any questions, reach out, [she’d] be happy to answer them.”