By Mia Hunter, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Mia’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. When surveying teens’ interaction with social media, my peer recorded that a majority of his surveyed group at my high school found the impact of stress imposed by social media to be paramount to the stress of their … Read more
By Ketan Tamirisa, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Ketan’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Ben Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” During my time volunteering at a free-outpatient clinic in Dallas, I met a 15-year-old girl who was four weeks pregnant. She was complaining of … Read more
By Lauren Metcalf , SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Lauren’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Nearly a third of youth struggled with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This has only increased conversations about the youth mental health crisis. As a teen, hearing … Read more
The 2023 ‘Be the Change’ Youth Training Program in Washington, D.C., engaged youth from across the country with a passion for school-based health care and community leadership. Youth attended plenaries and workshops and participated in activities to better understand various health-related topics. Topics ranged from vaping and sexual education to peer education and quality improvement … Read more
The following is an article featured on NPR’s Health News. “Of all the things she could have done on her summer vacation, Bithaniya Fieseha, a senior at West Springfield High School in Fairfax County, Va., decided to study chronic disease, mental health and contact tracing. Some of her friends didn’t understand the appeal. ‘I feel … Read more
For SBHC Awareness Month, our Youth Advisory Council created one pagers to report on advocacy activities in their states. Council members shared information on current legislation, their state affiliates, and ideas on how to spread awareness about school-based health centers. Check them out below!
By Jordi Alftine , SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Jordi’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Mental health is crucial to overall well-being, particularly for teenagers and young adults. Unfortunately, mental health issues are increasingly prevalent in this age group, affecting individuals across the globe. The teenage and young adult years are complicated … Read more
By: Chris Oshana, former Youth Advisory Council Member Chris Oshana is a senior at the University of Michigan studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, with a minor in Social Class and Inequality Studies. He hopes to inspire other youth to advocate for themselves in all aspects of their lives. For the past three and a half years of … Read more
By Chris Oshana, former Youth Advisory Council Member When I reflect on my time with the School-Based Health Alliance Youth Advisory Council, I think of my immense growth as a person, advocate, and life-long learner. I joined the council at the beginning of my first year of college. I had to navigate a whole new … Read more
By Audrey Gabriel, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s proven difficult for most people to keep up with their annual appointments. Whether it’s making it into your primary care physician’s office for a yearly check-up or scheduling an appointment with a specialist, finding a time to be seen … Read more
