A Place to Call Home: Providing Nourishment, Encouraging Growth, and Giving Love - Photo Essay

Photographs and Story by Henley Tullos

The Marietta Student Life Center is more than just a collection of rooms in a hallway.  This hallway is composed of a library of students, each from different backgrounds, with stories to be told.  Marietta Student Life Center Director, Rona Roberts, describes this place as one that “focuses on the whole child by collecting, organizing, and analyzing data that is more robust in terms of students’ home lives, their likes and dislikes, and their learning preferences to ascertain students’ immediate needs.”  By using the data compiled from students at Marietta High School, the Student Life Center has constructed a place for students to be heard, understood, loved, and appreciated for their abilities and disabilities, flaws and powers.  Finding refuge is no easier than finding what is available for students and families at the high school and in the community.

This photo essay will explore the Marietta Student Life Center and give a visual to the place that many students seek in their daily life.  Throughout the essay, viewers will meet Rona Roberts, the Marietta Student Life Center Director, and Kennesaw State University interns that work alongside Roberts in providing the best care and experience for those who frequent the Student Life Center.

Marietta High School located in Marietta, Georgia on Feb. 28, 2018. Marietta High School is home to over 2,000 students.

The grand staircase inside Marietta High School on Feb. 28, 2018. This entrance is shared by the entire student population each day. Students gather here before class and after school.

Marietta Student Life Center hallway in Marietta High School on Feb. 28, 2018. Hallway “B” is the place many students go to seek counseling for various reasons, academic advising, tutoring, and more. This hallway houses a laundry room, food pantry, computer labs, clothing donations and a student café.

Marietta Student Life Center Director’s Office in Marietta High School on Feb. 28, 2018. Director, Rona Roberts, spends most of her day in and out of this room, which resides in the middle of the hallway to give easy access to the students.

Student Life Center Director Rona Roberts on Feb. 28, 2018. Roberts works diligently throughout the school year answering emails, communicating with teachers, seeking the best help and advice for students, taking donations, and organizing the routine of daily life at the Student Life Center.

A counseling room in the Marietta Student Life Center on Feb. 13, 2018. This room serves as a place of deliberation, advice, and therapy sessions for students in need.

Relaxing crafts in a Marietta Student Life Center counseling room on Feb. 13, 2018. Students can sit exercise their creativity and anxiety through crafting with clay or coloring.

The Kiwanis Good Vibes Café in the Marietta Student Life Center on Feb. 13, 2018. Bright colors and comfortable seating fill the student-run café.

Dining in the Kiwanis Good Vibes Café in the Marietta Student Life Center on Feb. 13, 2018. The Kiwanis Good Vibes Café is splashed with color and positive vibes to give students a comfortable, yet lively place to spend time.

Seating in the Kiwanis Good Vibes Café in the Marietta Student Life Center on Feb. 13, 2018. Students often gather at the Kiwanis Good Vibes Café to work on homework, to grab a bite to eat, and to share positivity with each other.

Food pantry in the Marietta Student Life Center on Feb. 13, 2018. Canned food is donated from local organizations for students and families to shop through whenever they are in need.

Laundry room in the Marietta Student Life Center on Feb. 13, 2018. The laundry room is available to students, as well as families of students, who may not have access to these resources at home.

Kennesaw State University student interns, Annie Vastey (left) and Irene Salazar (right), at the Marietta Student Life Center on Feb. 28, 2018. The Student Life Center is a place for interns to gain hands-on experience and for students to flee to in times of need. Interns at the Student Life Center work directly with students to enhance their daily life and assist them with succeeding in their school life, home life and personal life.