We recently connected with Rebecca Heller and have shared our conversation below.

Rebecca, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I became a doctor of education at the end of September 2024. After I defended my dissertation on introducing a mindfulness intervention as a coping skill to students from a high achieving school, my dissertation committee chairs returned to the Zoom Room post-deliberation and said, “Congratulations, Dr. Heller.” I was overjoyed. I had worked for three years (and a lifetime) for this accomplishment.

I have worked in education for almost 20 years. Prior to the pandemic, I was working as a high school college counselor, supporting students with academic advising and college applications. During this time, I noticed a rise in anxiety and depression among students, so much so that it was causing some of my students to take a leave of absence from school for mental health reasons. This was happening to students in high school and continued for many when they went off to their dream college. I understood this was not unique to my school, that it was part of a mental health crisis that was happening around the country and was exacerbated by the pandemic. It became clear that we needed to increase our efforts to prepare students as well socially and emotionally as we were academically. Luckily, my school understood the importance of and is deeply invested in caring for the whole child. I proposed creating a wellness program and was appointed to the Director of Student Wellness position to focus on student well-being.

I went back to school around the same time to earn my doctorate in education. I hold a Master’s in School Counseling, but wanted to take the next step. Going back to school for my doctorate was something I had thought about for a long time. I considered starting it after my daughter graduated from high school, but that was still a decade away. At 47, I thought, well if I start now, I will finish when I am 50 and that would be an amazing gift to myself.

Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College has a well-respected online EdD program in Leadership and Innovation designed for working professionals. The program was just what I hoped it would be. It was certainly challenging, and I spent many weekend hours reading and writing papers. From the start we focused on our own problem of practice, essentially investigating our own issues in our own context. Student well-being is my passion, and specifically the well-being of students from high achieving schools, like the one where I work. High achieving schools include both private and public schools with vast academic and extracurricular offerings and a high percentage of students going on to college. The pressure on the students to achieve can be immense, and research has indicated that this pressure is a risk factor for the mental health of students.

In my role as Director of Student Wellness, I implement programming to support student well-being. With my doctoral research, I was able to introduce and study the effects of a seven-week mindfulness intervention taught to 11th grade students. Eleventh grade is known for being a stressful year, as students take their most difficult classes and hope to do well enough to impress colleges. As part of the students’ weekly advisory classes, they were introduced to the concept of mindfulness, and over the next seven weeks taught different mindfulness techniques, including boxed breathing, noting, and body scans. Many of the students reported that they used the mindfulness techniques they learned outside of the classroom as a positive coping skill in their everyday lives.

The process of delving deep into study of student well-being, researching and collecting data, and writing a dissertation explaining the action research process was challenging and gratifying. As a reward for all the hard work, I now get to hear the students say, “Hi, Dr. Heller!,” when I walk down the hallway.

Rebecca, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the Director of Student Wellness at Viewpoint School, a TK-12 independent school of approximately 1200 students in Calabasas, California. I have the pleasure of working every day with students from 4 to 18 years old. When the youngest students ask what it is I do, I often tell them that my job is to help them learn to be healthy in body and mind. As part of my work, we introduce concepts such as emotional intelligence, self-regulation, kindness to others, decision-making, and healthy relationships. I also think about physical wellness—mental health, nutrition, sexual health, yoga, mindfulness, and drug and alcohol prevention. I work with others to make sure these concepts are developmentally and culturally appropriate for all students. To that end, I co-facilitate a group of Directors of Wellness around the country. We meet monthly to consult with one another and discuss best practices in the field of student wellness.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I believe deeply in authentic leadership. Authentic leadership emphasizes self-awareness, humility, and transparency, which are all incredibly important values to me both in work and my personal life. By being honest and open, I am able to build trust and foster open communication, encouraging others to do the same. I am someone who is grounded in self-reflection and continuously seeks growth and learning, which are core qualities of an effective leader.

While my work is meant to directly benefit students, it is imperative that I work with other educators to make the programming come to life. I am deeply invested in the well-being of my colleagues. I always say, “if the teachers aren’t happy, nobody’s happy.”

It is so important to make people feel seen and valued, whether that is a colleague, student, or someone in our personal lives. Simple things like recognizing and complimenting hard work, checking in when you can tell someone has had a hard day, and appreciating people with words (and food) goes a long way.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

I love my job and feel so lucky to be working in education in the role of Director of Student Wellness. It was not a job that existed when I was young, but I do feel that all of my experiences have led me to this place. In my teens and early twenties, I worked at Gold’s Gym and became a certified aerobics instructor. In my twenties, I tried on various hats—I assisted at an auction house, was a salesperson at a health club, and a production assistant in the film industry. I was experiencing so many big emotions about what I was doing or should do for work. I didn’t like anything I tried, but didn’t know where to go. Life often has a way of guiding us toward the right job, even when the path isn’t totally clear.

I have always had an interest in education and health. In addition to working in gyms and health clubs, I have been a surf instructor and after-school enrichment teacher. Prior to my job as Director of Student Wellness, I was a college counselor. I am a certified teacher in both yoga and mindfulness, and hold additional certifications and accreditations in emotional intelligence, social-emotional learning, grief training, sexual health, positive psychology, and body confidence. I have personal experience with both Western and Eastern medicine, naturopathy, and Chinese medicine. Working in education on health feels like I’m bringing all of my passions together.

Small steps, unexpected opportunities, and moments of self-discovery revealed my passions and strengths. For better or worse, our passions are honed through trial and error, through moments of doubt that push us to reflect and reassess, and through times of serendipity when the right opportunity presents itself at the right moment. Sometimes we need to create the position that we know is right for us and will benefit others. The journey of finding the right job might include driving down a winding road that teaches us about ourselves, our values, and what truly motivates us to contribute and grow. Trusting in the process and being open to change often leads us exactly where we need to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rebeccaheller.com
• Instagram: @rebecca.heller
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/rebecca-heller-edd-24645454

Image Credits

Tanner Wilson