In December, as the temperatures drop and students become aware of final exams, there is a growing sense of anxiety across campus.The hallways that had been alive with laughter and socializing now appear to be quieter as more and more students become filled with angst awaiting the impending exams at the end of the semester.
The last week before winter break is filled with studying at night, piles of flashcards and feeling the weight of the GPA in the midst of the academic storm. During this time, the Associated Student Body (ASB) continues to uphold a tradition that serves to remind students that they are more than just a number on an exam. The tradition is called “winter wishes.”
The idea is straightforward, students request a wish for a holiday treat that is less than two dollars. These requests can include anything from a specific type of candy to a favorite soft drink or a simple handwritten note of encouragement. Although two dollars may appear to be a small amount in light, members of the staff and student community consider the wishes to be an incredible commitment to promoting affiliation, emotional well being and holiday cheer.
According to Hannah Yu, ASB activities commissioner, the students in ASB created the winter wishes tradition with a specific goal in mind.
“I would say the main goal of Winter Wishes is to relieve some pressure off students with impending finals with a well-deserved treat, as well as do a little something for the holiday season,” Yu said.
Something this simple is specifically important in a time when students typically feel like their world is dependent on their grades. A personalized gift that is selected for a student serves as a positive affirmation of the student’s value.
Yu explained that this program was designed to give students the feeling of being noticed in an individualized manner and not just giving out prepackaged and pre-printed snacks. Every gift is handpicked for the individual who requested it.
Yu said all gifts are personally purchased and the student outreach commissioner Avry Hom puts a lot of care and consideration into finding the right gift based on a student’s choice in order to make sure they got the exact gift they wanted.
Hom views the program as providing a connection between student leaders and the larger student body.
Each memory that Hom has of working on this program is special to her. For instance, one of the students she worked with in a previous year expressed how they are typically not given gifts during the holiday season and how retrieving a treat from ASB made them feel loved.
“That is really what I want to hear as student outreach, I view it as both a small act of connection and community building. It’s an event that students aren’t forced to participate in, but they are willing to support the school during the holiday season,” Hom said.
Although the overall idea of Winter Wishes is very positive, making it happen requires a lot of preparation to make it successful. Winter Wishes had a much larger scale in 2025 than in the past.
In previous years, the Winter Wishes program had about 50-100 students participate. However, in 2025, there were over 330 students involved in the Winter Wishes program, creating an additional challenge for organizing by ASB.
“The biggest logistical challenge I’d say would be organizing the treats since there’s just a lot of items to separate,” Hom said.
In order to sort all the items for the winter wishes, a complex system for organizing inventory was created. First items were sorted into the individual stores where it could be purchased and then are further sorted into additional categories such as “food” or etc. Some items are also placed into “niche items” category if they are more difficult to find.
“There’s just a lot going on during the organization process, but I just try my best to be as efficient.” Hom said.
The effectiveness of the budget depends on the ability of all staff members to make informed purchases. According to Yu, many times the success of a program is linked to the ability of students to purchase the same products through ASB and take advantage of bulk pricing.
“It was helpful when multiple people wished for the same thing, such as buying a pack of Arizona tea and gum rather than those items individually,” said Yu.
According to Yu, though the budget per student in years past was larger, the two-dollar budget limit reflects the increased demand for these items by students today. If the budget per student was larger, ASB would not have been able to accommodate the hundreds of students who are currently signing up.
Mrs. Gorzycki, principal of Woodbridge High, is one of the biggest supporters of the program and views it as an important tool for helping students achieve success.
She sees how big of a difference it can make during the high-pressure final exam time when students are extremely stressed and can use the time to relax and unwind.
“Everyone needs a moment of joy to recharge their spirits, these moments of happiness are the fuel that powers them through the days before finals week,”Gorzycki said.
Gorzycki believes Winter Wishes is more than just individual treats, it’s also about the larger message being sent throughout the whole school community. She wants students to see that the ASB and administration are collaborating to support them as well.
“We hope they see the collective efforts of everyone in our community working together to make students feel seen, heard and appreciated. This collaboration shows that success is built on a foundation of mutual care and shared joy!” Gorzycki said.
As the final bell rang before winter break, many students left with a small reminder of how their school supports them. Some students received a cold Dr. Pepper, some a piece of gum and others may receive a note of encouragement. Each of these “wishes” provides encouragement to finish the semester strong.
