32% of substance abuse users don’t make it. Addiction is and has been a real issue for some time now, and each year we see it reach younger and younger audiences. Due to this, we must talk about addiction and how to help prevent it. You should try to help people you know who are struggling with addiction. If you are in a situation involving addiction, whether you’re fighting against it in someone else or even in yourself, there is a place on campus for you to go. Consider having a visit with our chemical health counselor, Mrs. Megan Wilgenbusch.

The new Chemical Health program has been added to Rochester Public High Schools, for anyone who is struggling with addiction, or watching a friend, or family member struggle. School is already hard enough as it is, but adding addiction on top of that is far too much to ask of a teenage student, so RPS decided to create a program to help these students and give them a safe place. Opening up can be hard, let alone to a stranger, so here are some things to know about our new Chemical Counselor! 

Mrs. Wilgenbusch was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and lived there until the start of her senior year of high school. She then moved here to Minnesota.  She has two siblings, a brother and a sister; they all grew up playing lots of sports and spending time bringing farm animals to their county fair. Mrs. Wilgenbusch reminisces on weekends spent at her grandparents’ horse farm, going to rodeos, and spending time with her family. She is still super close with her immediate family, “My sister is my best friend,” and they all live within an hour from each other! Mrs. Wilgenbusch received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at SMSU (Southwest Minnesota State), then went on to acquire her chemical dependency counseling license at RidgeWater College in Willmar, MN, and now she just finished her master’s in Social work at Winona State. Mrs. Wilgenbusch returned to school because she loves continuing to grow and learn!