The Excellence in Education Foundation is proud to support Wellness Programs Tahoe Truckee Unified School District schools. These are safe, welcoming spaces where students can step away from the pressures of academics, sports, and social life to find support, connection, and care.
The centers are staffed by dedicated professionals who meet students where they are, helping them navigate stress, anxiety, and challenges. For some, it’s as simple as a quiet place to breathe during a difficult day. For others, it’s a trusted adult who listens and helps lighten the weight of perfectionism, family pressures, or the fear of falling short.
Excellence in Education’s funding ensures these centers can continue to provide free access to emotional support and wellness resources, services that have become essential for our students and their families.
One Truckee student shared:
Parent Story From a North Tahoe Highschool Student’s Mom:
The North Tahoe High School’s wellness center was an essential safe place for my daughter during her high school years. My daughter was great at being “perfect.” She would say that she doesn’t know exactly how she initially attained the “perfect” title but it was a crushing expectation that weighed heavy upon her everyday. She was a perfectionist who masked her anxiety and stress very well, even from her teachers whom she adored … and she had many really awesome teachers at North Tahoe.
Early morning jazz band, AP classes, volleyball, leadership, she made it all look easy and she did it with a smile. She loved all these activities but her expectation of herself for perfection and her anxiety of possibly not succeeding as “everyone expected her to” took a toll on her mental health. Hillary was a lifeline for her.
With Hillary, she felt truly safe and the wellness center was the one place she could truly be seen for her authentic self. There was a private room for conversations with Hillary which was important to Skyler. Skyler knew if the stress and anxiety of the day got to be too much, Hillary would be there for her. As a worried mom who could see her daughter was struggling, Hillary and the wellness center were a lifeline for me also.
I would email Hillary during times when Skyler was particularly struggling and Hillary would always promptly reply and she would assure me that she would check in on Skyler. Oftentimes we see these “shining star” kids in school and we think that they are doing just great. There are so many students with so many different needs that these students are often overlooked, especially when everything on the outside looks beautiful and shiny. The wellness center is a place for all kids. It is an easy, convenient, and uncomplicated way to get support without the usual stigma that often comes with mental health services.
Skyler went on to Sarah Lawrence College in New York where she was a premed major, college volleyball player, and chemistry researcher. She started college during the midst of Covid and I’m proud of how she was able to manage her stress during her college years. I want to give credit to the North Tahoe Wellness Center for being part of her successful journey through high school, onto college, and I want to thank them for showing her the positive value of reaching out for support during challenging times (which is one of the best lifelong skills everyone should acquire).