Introducing Two YSPP Youth Council All-Stars!

It’s always impressive, pleasing, and encouraging to know there are young leaders who are willing to step up and make themselves stand apart by helping out with a cause within their community. In a busy world of school, work, extracurricular activities, sports, friends, and other countless things to do, there are passionate people who will find the time.

I had the privilege of meeting two motivated high school girls who are members of the YSPP youth council and they are also involved with youth suicide prevention at their schools.  I can’t recall learning about youth suicide prevention when I was in junior high or high school so I was very intrigued to hear about what they have done in their schools.  Both girls follow a curriculum about youth suicide prevention and teach their classmates by doing presentations and activities.  I’m very impressed with their efforts and the other students who are involved with them and hope that more of their peers will become involved and continue this effort.

Trinh (first picture) is a junior at Roosevelt High School.  Her future goal is to be a successful company president.  She is involved in her school band and marching band.  She became involved with YSPP to fulfill community service hours to graduate and felt that YSPP would be an interesting way to fulfill those requirements.  Her uncle was suicidal for a long time and that also influenced her a little bit.  Through YSPP, she claims that her eyes have really opened to the pain of others.  She feels that she has a deeper understanding of other people.  She's learned a lot of new things about suicide and gained new friends and good memories.

Linnea (second picture) is a senior at Ballard High School.  She is also in her school’s band and marching band and plays the flute and piccolo and she also sings in a number of choirs including Northwest Girl choir, Ballard’s Concert choir, Ballard’s Women’s Chamber choir, and her church choir.  She hopes to take her musical talent to Pacific Lutheran University after graduating.  She became involved with YSPP because a girl at her school committed suicide in 2005.  Although she didn’t personally know her, she had an urge to become involved in suicide prevention.  She began by helping to start her school’s Student Lives Always Matter (SLAM) club in 2006. 

After meeting with these two hard-working students, I began asking some of my friends if they learned about youth suicide prevention at their schools and a majority of them said "no."  

I asked Trinh and Linnea about how they feel about the difference they’re making. Trinh doesn't feel like she’s made a very big difference but feels that as the Youth Council takes off, they’ll make and feel much more of a difference.

Linnea says she gets a lot from doing what she does.  Sometimes, she feels like nothing she’s doing is ever going to make a difference but there have been numerous occasions at Ballard where people talk about SLAM and ask questions and comment that SLAM has really helped.  When she hears that kind of feedback, she knows she’s making a difference and it feels really good.  After each SLAM presentation in health classes, they give out anonymous feedback forms and they usually get answers like “this really helped me,” this information was really great and I know I can use it in the future,” “thanks for all you’re doing, it really helps” or even “I’ve been suicidal or I’ve had suicidal thoughts and now I know there’s always help.”  Positive feedback makes Linnea and her club members feel great because they know they’re helping.

Both girls agree that something that may seem small now really pays off in the long run.  Great job girls!

I can’t stress enough how I’m impressed with the youth who are involved with YSPP and I hope that all of you feel the same as well. Hats off to them!

To end this post, I will leave two questions for you to ponder. 

Do you think it is appropriate to teach suicide prevention to middle and high school students?  
Do you think that suicide can be prevented? 

Please feel free to leave comment or e-mail us at yspprealtalk@gmail.com