A decade after being honored as the Boys and Girls Club Valley Youth of the Year, Ariana Ruof has returned to her roots with a new mission.
Inside the club's Grant Woods branch in Mesa, Ruof is the newest Terros mental health coach. The Ph.D. student at Arizona State University is using her training in psychology and family development to better the lives of children and teens there.
“It feels like it was meant to be like a full circle moment for me really,” said Ruof.
The Boys and Girls Club helped her pay for college through a scholarship when she was named Valley Youth of the Year. Now she’s helping club members develop essential coping mechanisms and conflict resolution techniques in the wake of the pandemic's impact on youth.
“Teaching them how to process all of what they’re feeling has been a lot of the work I’ve been doing,” said Ruof. “I’ve noticed they’ve had trouble with reading, how to have conversations with each other, how to resolve differences with each other.”
Kim McWilliams, senior director of children services with Terros Health says studies show the social and emotional learning loss when schools shut down is having long-lasting impacts.
“During the pandemic, kids' anxiety and depression increased through the roof, and they really didn’t know how to be back socially with other kids, how to transition from activity to activity,” said McWilliams.
Terros Health, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Arizona, is now sending professionals like Ruof to the source. Three days a week she works with groups and conducts one-on-one sessions to build resilience and skills kids need to navigate the challenges they face. She’s also helping second and third-graders strengthen their reading skills after falling behind during COVID. The best part is it’s working.
“We’re seeing behaviors decreasing across the board where we have wellness coaches and to me that is just absolutely amazing,” said McWilliams.
“I love to teach the kids about mindfulness, “ said Ruof. “Taking the time to pause, take some deep breaths when you’re stressed out, when you’re angry. Different tools make all the difference. It means everything to these children and their families."
It's a satisfaction this former club kid feels as well.