She roams the hallways and may have confiscated your hoodie; you might not know her name is Mrs. Vidals. There is more to her than just reinforcing school policies. Mrs. Vidals grew up in different parts of L.A. and attended Bell High School. During her senior year of high school, Mrs. Vidals went to nearby elementary schools to tutor children, which eventually developed her passion for working in a school setting. Before Mrs. Vidals worked with us at ODLH, she was a Kindergarten teacher for one year. After that, Mrs. Vidals transitioned from teaching to a student support specialist to grow within her career. “ODLH is transitioning to restorative justice practices,” She explained, “it benefits the school because instead of having punitive punishment, they focus on restoring the community.” Mrs. Vidals believes in helping students develop emotional awareness. “Giving students the tools to cope and hold them accountable for their part as a member of this school,” She continued, “people in our community are reluctant to seek help because they do not want to be labeled unstable.” According to Mrs. Vidals, Making mental health a common subject of conversation in our community would encourage people to seek help. When it comes to education she encourages students to work hard. “Go to school and take education seriously” she advised,  “so you don’t have to struggle senior year. Education can offer many opportunities.”