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Health & Fitness

Back to School and Making Good Choices

Start the school year off right and resolve to make good decisions for a healthy future.

By Tejo Tunuguntla 

As the summer wanes, many students start to feel somewhat anxious with school just around the corner. While I can’t wait to reunite with my vacationing friends, I’d rather not face all the stress of another busy school year.

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This will be my senior year, and to be honest, it’s a bittersweet feeling. High school has provided me with a place to grow into an independent, confident person. I have met a number of situations where I had to restrain myself from making the wrong decision, but I’ve also been fortunate to meet many people who share my values and have supported good choices. 

High school is a maze with a surplus of choices. Everything from the classes we take to the activities we participate in will help shape us for the future. Many incoming freshman take the warnings they hear too lightly. When teachers and parents say “every year counts,” they are not kidding. Some students are inclined to take the wrong route, following friends who promote bad behavior.

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This is where the Youth Council of the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) can help out. When I first joined the countywide organization last year, the Youth Council was just getting off the ground. I had never encountered a group of teens who accepted others so quickly.

I blindly entered in the UPC Youth Council to attend the statewide leadership conference YADAPP (Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Project) at Longwood University. While at the conference, I realized the frequency at which tragedies happen in the world. Everyone has their own story, and I learned how to respect others and pay heed to their backgrounds.

The UPC Youth Council gives me an opportunity to sympathize, laugh, and experience an atmosphere filled with kindness. The best part is that the community that grew at the conference has stayed intact. I now have numerous friends throughout Fairfax County, and across all of Virginia.

The UPC Youth Council’s key job is to spread the word about UPC’s mission of keeping youth and young adults safe, healthy and drug free and to get teens involved in making a difference. We learn about the consequences of drugs and alcohol on developing brains and promote sober activities among our peers.

The Youth Council also provides students with opportunities to get out and attend fun and interesting events like last year’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)’s news conference and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Annual Drug-Free Kids Campaign Awards Dinner. Our members also presented before the Fairfax County School Board and the county Board of Supervisors about the annual Parents Who Host, Lose the Most Month.

The group also is a great way to learn social and leadership skills. We learn how to plan and assist with events (last year we helped planned a countywide prevention conference for middle school students and parents), how to evaluate them, and how to publicize them.

High school is a time of confusion and a place where foundations are built. While saying “no” can be a difficult decision, you will find that saying “yes” to the UPC Youth Council can help you toward a brighter future. The Youth Council has now grown to include students from 12 of the 25 high schools, and our goal this year is to have representatives from each school. We’d love to hear from you!

UPC welcomes other high school students to join the Youth Council. An online application is available here, and questions can be directed to Youth Council Coordinator Samara Kimmelman at skimmelman@upcfairfax.org.

UPC Youth Council member Tejo Tunuguntla is a senior at Westfield High School.. She also is the vice president of Habitat for Humanity and the president for the Science Honor Society. Tejo is active in numerous clubs, including Best Buddies and Model United Nations.

The Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County is a nonprofit organization with more than 50 community partners working together to keep youth and young adults safe and drug-free. Visit www.unifiedpreventioncoalition.org 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

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