The heart of the Sources of Strength mission is to spread Hope, Help, and Strength. While we often focus on the impact this curriculum has on our students, the true magic of the program is how it ripples through an entire school community, starting with the educators themselves.
This month, we are thrilled to spotlight Sonya Kaidanov, a School Counselor at East Gresham Elementary, who is witnessing firsthand how the power of positivity can “re-train” the brain.
The Counselor’s Journey: Practicing What We Preach
Sonya teaches Sources of Strength lessons to ten different 3rd-5th grade classrooms every other week. While her goal was to empower her students, she quickly realized that the curriculum was having a profound effect on her own mental well-being.
“I started connecting the dots and firmly believe that teaching this curriculum… has changed my brain and how I operate on a day-to-day basis,” Sonya shares.
Self-described as someone who can lean into agitation or pessimism when things get tough, Sonya noticed a shift. When faced with the common stressors of school life, understaffing and exhaustion, she found that her “old” mindset no longer held sway. Instead of joining in the complaints, she found herself reflexively saying, “But… let’s focus on the positives!”
By consistently discussing strengths with her students, Sonya has effectively hard-wired her own brain for optimism.
From Theory to Breakthrough: A Student’s Success
The impact of these lessons extends far beyond the counselor’s office. Sonya recently shared a moving story about a student who had been struggling with suicidal ideation and a deep, persistent “funk” for over a month.
Traditional interventions didn’t seem to be breaking through, so Sonya suggested a simple but powerful Sources-based strategy: Positive Affirmations. * The Task: Write positive affirmations on sticky notes.
- The Routine: Place them on a mirror and say them out loud every single day.
- The Result: Two months later, that same student walked into Sonya’s office with a radiant smile. “Ms. Sonya, the exercise works! I am all of a sudden feeling so much stronger and capable!”
Why It Matters
Stories like Sonya’s remind us that the Sources of Strength curriculum isn’t just a set of lessons, it’s a lifestyle. Whether it’s a counselor finding new joy in her work or a student finding the resilience to overcome their darkest moments, the message is clear: We are all capable of re-training our brains and mindsets.
Thank you, Sonya, for your dedication to the students at East Gresham Elementary and for being a living example of the strength we aim to build in the world!
