Kicking off the new monthly presentations, the Lunch and Learn “Student Success” meeting was hosted in the gymnasium Sept. 26. The first guest speaker, Dr. Paige Illum, Director of Student Engagement and Success at Avila University, spoke to the student body about topics such as mental health, how to improve studies at school and bettering the future for students.

“We were looking at ways we could incorporate the seven dimensions of wellness into the Sion experience,” Director of Wellness and Assistant Athletics Director Sarah Johnson said. “It just made sense to bring in an outside expert to present and have a dialogue with our students.”

The students who attended the meeting learned how to deal with the stresses of school and how to better organize their time. Illum made a five step process to the “happiest place on Earth:” taking charge of one’s own self, managing time, learning to study critically, building a network and being reflective.

“I learned to express goals with the people around me. Also, to focus on education and my relationships with my family, along with health,” junior Sade-Joy Dugbo said.

Along with the five step process, Illum provided helpful tips and tricks for getting to where one wants to be in life. Setting goals was one of the ways people can get their life in order and have sight of where one will be in the future, according to Illum. If someone keeps their goals to their self, no one in the outside world will offer help to reach them. Sharing goals with the people in surrounding areas, widening social circles and making sure every friend is someone who will not keep another person down. Instead, they must be uplifting, encouraging and motivating.

“Everyone has something that can make them feel balanced or refreshed. It may be reading, taking a nap, listening to music, spending time in quiet,” Johnson said. “Find whatever it is and make it a habit.”