By: Ryan Duey
Two Clay Center Community High School YLink members were offered scholarships to attend CADCA’s 35th Annual National Leadership Forum in National Harbor, Maryland earlier this month.
CCCHS seniors Raegann McDonald and Isabelle Blackwood were offered the chance to join other Kansas Youth Prevention Action Council (KYPAC) members to attend training sessions on youth advocacy, leadership development, and substance misuse prevention. While McDonald was not able to attend due to other commitments Blackwood joined 15 other Kansas youth on the trip.
During the latest Clay Counts Coalition meeting Blackwood spoke about the trainings she attended. Her favorite training talked about substance use by college students.
“I attended two main training tracks. One was on partnering with Coalitions at the collegiate level, and the other one was about mental health and substance abuse.”
“My favorite session was definitely the one on collegiate partnering. We talked about why college students misuse substances and risk signs at the collegiate level. Consequences of substance abuse in college include decreased academic performance, risky or dangerous behaviors, and poor health. Those are some of what you face with substance misuse at the collegiate level.”
Blackwood also had the opportunity to meet the State Senators on Capitol Hill. She said she enjoyed meeting with Senator Moran’s staff.
“Senator Jerry Moran is the only Congressman who has a DEA Agent on their staff, and Moran made sure this DEA Agent was there for this meeting.”
“I got to talk to them about farmers’ mental health and veterans’ mental health. I then ended up staying and personally speaking with the DEA Agent for around 30 minutes afterward. Out of everything that week I gained the most from that meeting I think.”
Blackwood and McDonald will be heading to the State Capital in Topeka to facilitate a youth panel and speak with legislators with other KYPAC members next week.
