Wellness Center reopens under new coordinator

Photo by Emily Wu

New Wellness Center coordinator Thea Widmer works at a desk and checks in with students as they arrive on Nov. 27. 

With over 20 years of experience in education, new Wellness Center coordinator Thea Widmer hopes to build and maintain a safe and supportive environment within the Wellness Center. 

After the Wellness Center reduced services for 6 weeks starting from Oct. 4 — when the previous coordinator, Grace Conley, switched positions to the school testing center — Widmer fully reopened services to the center on Nov. 12.

As the coordinator, Widmer is a gatekeeper, checking students in and directing them toward the Wellness Center’s various amenities including beanbag chairs, fidget toys, snacks or a visit with a therapist.

“I enjoy helping students and making them feel like they can be the best version of themselves,” Widmer said. “With all the pressure at school studying for classes, the Wellness Center is a good way for students to find balance.” 

As a Swiss native, Widmer first attained a bachelor’s degree at Handelsschule Liestal before coming to the U.S. for travel in 1999. Finding that U.S. schools offered a greater variety of majors, she decided to stay and completed a bachelor’s degree in art photography at San Francisco State University in 2001, and a master’s degree in multimedia at California State, Hayward in 2003.

After graduating, Widmer ventured into the educational field. She taught as an art instructor at La Honda Elementary for three years, where she ran Art in Action, a non-profit art program specializing in expanding art curriculum in public schools across the U.S. Many public schools in La Honda didn’t offer art curriculums, so she and other instructors made a curriculum for Art in Action and offered art training to low-income students to expand their education beyond academics. 

“​​Art allowed them [the kids] to find a different venue for their creativity,” Widmer said. “Some kids may not be as good with math or other disciplines but are good at art. So, this was a great outlet for them to show what they could do.”

In 2016, Widmer moved to Vienna, Austria, wanting her children to grow up with their European heritage, being connected with their roots was something Widmur valued. While in Vienna, she continued in education and worked as an instructional assistant substitute at the American International School in Vienna for kids with learning disabilities. There, she also taught competitive math to fourth and fifth graders at the American International School in Vienna.

“I’ve worked a lot with students, including ones with disabilities, which helps me relate to them and know how to approach them,” Widmer said. “Working in the educational field for so many years has given me a lot of experience and familiarity with assisting students that come into the center.”

Widmer has already made several changes within the Wellness Center, including the addition of bamboo fountains and diffusers along the walls to provide a therapeutic ambiance to the space. 

For the holidays, Widmer plans to fill the room with festive decorations like colorful lights and dangling snowflakes to make the space more cheerful and welcoming. She also hopes to expand on activities like art by providing more painting supplies, so students can come to the center to de-stress instead of just doing schoolwork.

“I want everyone to feel welcome. We have a lot of information and resources available regarding wellness to help everyone improve their lives and get the help they need,” Widmer said.