Do you feel like you’re in the spin cycle right now? Bouncing off guardrails? Running in a relentless hamster wheel? You’re tackling online learning, lost freedoms, a racial reckoning, and a pandemic that just won’t end. Any or all of these stresses got you down? If so we are here for you.
At Gateway, we fully recognize how hard high school can be and we help make it less so every chance we get. In the best of times, graduating high school is demanding, energy-consuming and challenging.
And these are anything but the best of times. Reach out to let us know what is most troubling for you. Or even your top five. We have more counselors, working more hours to offer more availability and more bilingual supports than ever before. Your teachers can help with 1:1 meetings, too. The Gateway team will truly meet you where you are and help you succeed with your academic dreams.
If you know a Gateway student struggling — be sure to let them know we are here. Every member of our Gateway community who may need us — will get our help. Here’s how to find us:
Denise Mosqueda
Engagement/Outreach Coordinator
M-F 8am-4pm
Direct Line (951) 946-8864
Something else that helps when things get rough? Self-care. Here are some of the Gateway team’s go-tos:
First off, do you get enough sleep? This is the MOST important thing every Gateway student can do. Sleep! Your brain needs it. Your cells need it. Your psyche needs it.
Next — be sure to drink enough water and eat well. It really does help.
Are you taking time to connect with your friends? Family? If you have relationship challenges right now — we’re here to help. Let’s talk together about whatever and whoever might be worrying you, draining your energy. Sometimes an objective perspective really does help. Full confidentiality and major respect for owning your truth always.
Hard truth time. The explosive impact of the pandemic on you and millions of other high school students is real. Stress is off the charts and suicide rates are heart-breaking. Our counselors are trained to help in every aspect of your emotional life, including suicide prevention and support. A very important new report called, “Young People’s Mental Health In 2020: Hope, Advocacy, And Action For The Future. Data from Mental Health America” is out. Some eye-opening highlights from their 2020 Young People’s Mental Health survey include:
- Access to mental health professionals and mental health breaks as part of work or school were the top resources young people requested to support their mental health.
- Only 1 in 4 young people think they can make a change in mental health in their communities.
- 45% of 14-18-year-olds are not hopeful about the future, and more than half of LGBTQ+ teens are not hopeful about the future.
Our Gateway counselors and health educators are trained in awareness and skills training programs for a suicide-safer community. ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and safeTALK (a training in suicide alertness) enables our Gateway team to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources.
You belong here. Gateway students matter. Your shining faces, courage to achieve your academic dreams and resilience during these life-changing times inspire us everyday. We love to harness all of your energy, humor and pride — and reflect it right back. We share the trials and successes of learning-during-a-pandemic together. Ideas, recipes, TikTok dances — whatever feels good these days is on the table. We want to help with any feelings that are keeping you down — anything from feelings of being disorganized or unable to accomplish the tasks at hand, to feeling lonely, hyper-burdened or overwhelmed. We’re here for the hard things. Tell us and we will help make it better, we promise.
About Gateway College & Career Academy
Gateway College & Career Academy is an early college option for students, aged 16-21 years old, to gain college credits while obtaining a high school diploma. Located on the Riverside City College campus, in beautiful downtown Riverside, our tuition-free Riverside County charter school is dedicated to providing learners who are not on track to graduate with the opportunity to complete high school — and achieve success — within a supportive college community. Enroll today!