Jasmine Deharo, school therapist and manager of the wellness center at Mt.SAC Early College Academy (MECA) helps students with any emotional difficulty to ensure the well-being of others. Here at MECA, students and staff work very hard and some don’t have the luxury of going to someone to discuss their problems or issues bothering their daily life. With the help of Deharo’s insight and her contributions to students all around campus, we can get a better understanding of her job and general life.
“Well, just things I’ve experienced in my life and growing up with different challenges that I’ve faced and I always think about things that we carry with us throughout our family life, so that term ‘generational trauma’; I wanted to be the break in that cycle. This was always something that I wanted to do, and it led me here.”. Deharo states that she has indeed experienced a lot within her life, with things like generational trauma, but also the various challenges she’s already faced.
“No, this journey took me a little bit longer because life throws curveballs at you and you go in different directions. This was always something I wanted to do, but it took me a little bit because I felt like I needed to process first before I could be able to be present for anyone I work with. I had different careers in the past, I used to be in the medical field, but I switched gears and I went back to school and I’m glad I did because now I’m here.”. Surprisingly, Deharo’s original career used to reside in the medical field before she decided to “switched gears” to something that aligned with her passions more.
“Before here, I was a single mom for six years, so I was home for six years prior to coming back to the workforce, I worked for a dialysis company. So I did things from patient care to operations. I kinda worked my way up through that company, so I was there for many years but I wanted to make a switch, and if I didn’t feel fulfilled, I knew it was time for me to change, so I did. I wanted to go back to school and do this, but then I had kids, so my life went that way.” Trying to find what drives your passion is one of the most important things to search for in your life and Deharo guides us through her path along with her methods of chasing that passion.
“I started at Mt. Sac, January 2023, so I’m pretty new here, so last year was my first full year on campus and this time will be my second year on campus.”. Understanding that Deharo is only entering her second year at MECA can be shocking considering how good she is at her job. Her professional-like passion drives her to help MECA students and is one of many amazing abilities of our staff members here at MECA.
“I think if you are the type of person that wants to help others and be supportive, it can be stressful or take a toll on your mental health, so anyone going into this field I’d say to just take care of yourself. If you feel like you have the passion to truly enjoy helping people, go for it.”. Inspiring many, Deharo allows us to see that even with her passion for her field, she understands that one may not be able to find that same passion within their own life, which is why it’s important to take care of your overall health to ensure you are properly equipped to handle whatever situation you’re met with.
“In the mornings I try to go for a walk and then I come back and get my kids ready for school. I get my kids ready and then drop them off at school, come here, then I’m here until about 3: 30, then get my kids, and then dinner.” Granting us insight into her daily routine, Deharo lets us see that like her impressive occupation, she’s met with various things to deal with outside of school, mainly with her family and children.
Deharo’s contribution to MECA will be remembered by all who’ve been granted the pleasure of meeting her, as she does so much more than manage the wellness center. It’s safe to assume that Deharo will continue to provide a luxury service to MECA students, as she may very well be this school’s ‘superHaro’.
