Well-Being for Learning and Life

Bishop’s Director of Counseling Megan Cooper Broderick ’98 is not only an alum but a Bishop’s parent as well. This fall, the youngest of her three daughters, Sawyer, will enter sixth grade, joining her sisters, Brynn ’31 and Molly ’29. 

Broderick began her professional role at Bishop’s twelve years ago. Feeling the pull toward becoming a therapist, she left a television career that included working on “Saturday Night Live” and the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and enrolled in a master’s degree program at the University of San Diego for marriage and family therapy. While weighing her post-degree options, she learned that Bishop’s was hiring a counselor; it seemed almost fated. 

“Bishop’s really shaped the trajectory of my life,” she explains. As a middle school student experiencing some difficult issues at home, Broderick felt the power of holistic support. “Things in my family were pretty distracting and complicated, but I wasn’t really talking about them at school,” she recalls. “One day I was struggling in math class, and my teacher noticed. She took me outside and said, ‘I know what’s going on, and I see you and I care about you, and we’re here to walk alongside you.’ That was such a pivotal moment for me about the person that I wanted to become, and the goal to develop that type of empathy.”

What was informal and transformative for her back then has now become an official and indispensable counseling program, with Broderick at the helm. “I have wonderful memories of my time here. I felt very seen and appreciated,” she says. “The conversation has grown enormously,” she notes. “We’re very comprehensive and thoughtful about keeping the kids healthy so that when they graduate they understand themselves a little better and can be productive out there.” A second counselor joined her four years ago, and a school-wide commitment to well-being has been adopted, encompassing the advisory curriculum, daily schedule, the Bishop’s Family Partnership and other initiatives.  

To Broderick, the connection between self-knowledge and the pursuit of excellence is both natural and clear. “Bishops is a very high-achieving, academic school, so how do we help students find things that matter to them and that they want to work hard at?” she says. “It isn’t academics or health and well-being. It’s all rolled into one because we know that kids are healthier if they have things that they care about and if they’re trying hard.” 

Ultimately, the vision is one of optimal learning and growth, and uniquely Bishop’s. Students are encouraged to think about the greater purpose of their dreams and talents, knowing that they’re surrounded by care and support at all times, not just the tough moments. “That’s where the conversation starts,” says Broderick. “As a school, we’ve placed well-being and wellness at the center of our plan because ultimately, that helps students graduate with confidence and with empathy. They’re seeking to be inclusive, and to be good contributing citizens of the world. We want the kids to be well so that they can do well.”