By spring, most school hallways have quieted for summer. But in classrooms and community spaces across Saint Paul, students in Wilder’s school-based mental health programs were celebrating a different kind of graduation: the completion of a year spent building confidence, strengthening relationships, and developing tools to support their mental health alongside peers and trusted adults who shared their cultural backgrounds and experiences.
This spring, graduation celebrations took place across five groups: Sembrando, Hlub Zoo, ThayGeMoo, Unity, and Kofi. Each reflected the students and communities it serves, highlighting the importance of mental health support that is rooted in culture, language, and lived experience.
Sembrando: Celebration as Community
Sembrando’s graduation centered on community. Students, families, and staff gathered to share food, music, and time together. A mariachi band performed while meals were prepared on site, making food and culture an integral part of the celebration.
Parents who had supported their children throughout the year stood alongside staff who had spent months helping students navigate challenges and build new skills. The event honored not only student accomplishments but also the network of relationships that made those accomplishments possible.
Hlub Zoo and ThayGeMoo: Looking Forward
Hlub Zoo and ThayGeMoo held a joint celebration focused on reflection and possibility. A video created for the event featured fifth-grade students sharing a single word they hope will guide them at age 18, speaking directly to their future selves.
Staff members contributed reflections of their own, recognizing the growth they had witnessed throughout the year. Together, the videos and messages captured both where students are today and where they hope to go next.
Therapists shared personal observations with individual students:
“Thank you for sharing the power of your voice. I have seen you stand up for others, stand strong in your truth and cheer friends on. You remind all of us that our voices can help us feel seen and heard, and our voices can bring warmth to others.”
“Thank you for sharing the power of friendship with us. Friendship is a way of building bridges. I saw you make connections with all kinds of people and open your heart to others. As a leader, you remind all of us that we lead with our hearts.”
“I have seen you use your ideas to create art and make our community a better place. You remind us that our ideas have value and are worth sharing. You also remind us that when we trust our minds and abilities, we believe in ourselves more.”
Kofi: Rhythm as Recognition
Kofi marked graduation with a traditional drum performance. The music brought students, families, and staff together in a shared experience and recognized both individual achievements and collective strength.
For one student, the celebration connected to a question they had been exploring throughout the year: what it means to belong to more than one culture. As the child of immigrants, they described speaking Oromo at home while continuing to strengthen their English. While balancing both languages can be challenging, they said it also gives them a deeper connection to their family and community. They hope to keep developing both.
Unity: A Gallery of Selves
Unity took a visual approach to graduation. Each student selected a photograph that represented their identity and journey, and the images were assembled into a graduate gallery.
Wilder researcher Jennifer McClary, who helped organize the project, explained the prompt students received: choose a photograph that answers two questions: Who am I? and Who are my people? Students then wrote artist statements to accompany their images.
This year, 16 scholars contributed 16 photographs.
“I really want you to take some time to look at each photo and read the words the scholars wrote about them,” McClary said. “They’re really describing their lives to you.”
One student’s reflection captured the spirit of the project:
“I think unity is a whole bunch of people brought together, no matter their differences, color, or anything.”
Why Culturally Grounded Support Matters
Wilder’s school-based mental health programs are led by practitioners who work closely with Hmong, Karen, Latino, and other communities. These clinicians bring both professional expertise and cultural understanding, helping students and families navigate challenges in ways that reflect their experiences and values.
For many families, especially those who are new to mental health services, that cultural connection can make a meaningful difference. When support feels familiar, respectful, and relevant, families are often more likely to engage and remain connected.
This is particularly important in communities where conversations about mental health have historically been less common, often because families have been focused on immediate priorities such as safety, housing, education, and economic stability. Culturally responsive care meets families where they are and builds on existing strengths and traditions.
What Graduation Marks
These programs give students the opportunity to build confidence, strengthen relationships, and grow alongside peers with similar lived experiences. While each celebration looked different, all five recognized the same accomplishment: a year of growth, connection, and support.
For families considering culturally specific mental health services, these graduations offer a glimpse of what that support can provide. The impact may not always be visible day to day, but it becomes clear in the relationships students build, the confidence they develop, and the ways they begin to see themselves and their futures.
Moments like these reflect Wilder’s broader commitment to supporting students, families, and school communities in ways that extend far beyond a single school year.
