What began 23 years ago as a LifeSavers advisor in my first years of teaching, has turned into a passion to open the arms of the students I am in contact with on a daily basis and show compassion! I grew up in an alcoholic, abusive home and I personally know how it feels to be secluded and desperate to make it go away. As an adult, attending the retreat and having lifelong friendships, young and old, has made me cherish my life and those around me. If I had this program when I was in school, many of the decisions I made may not have happened. Over the years as I struggled to become a better person and love unconditionally, it has brought me full circle to start my own LifeSavers LINKS program at my current junior high school. Since our initial retreat, I am seeing a difference in the way students interact and treat one another. Just this morning, I walked in to our building to find positive post-it notes on all the lockers, secretly left from our LifeSaver LINKS members the evening before. In a world full of criticism and hate, it is time to bring our youth, our future parents and leaders, together to make this world a better place than we leave it.
Lifesavers has truly been a life saving organization at our high school. I have seen the training program for our students not only save the lives of their peers, but also help the trainees become the best versions of themselves. Students learn what it means to be a listener and use the skills they learn at retreats to help someone else. LSTC's mission works when they get the support they so greatly deserve.