Peers lead others to find positive sources
By Michael Johnson, Editor
A group of 19 students at the Washurn High School have been chosen to make a positive change at the school and beyond. The students and school are part of a study used to find out what the effects of a program, titled Sources of Strength, would have on those involved. Just a couple months in it seems to be showing some positive change. The students work with five advisers Supt. Brad Rinas, counselor Deb Torkelson and teachers, Laura Tweeten, Patrice Gedrose and Mike Kamrath. The students took training to find out how to find their sources of strength. Sophomore Nick Due said the training helped him to identify how to cope with difficult situations. During one of their first meetings, Torkelson asked the students to identify one adult at the school that they could trust, one trusted adult relative and one trusted adult in the community that was not at the school or a relative. "Who would be a source of strength for you?" Torkelson asked the group. They took turns writing adults’ names on sticky notes and pasted them up on the wall. It didn’t take long to realize they had identified dozens of adults that they could talk to if they had a problem. And each one was a unique source for strength.
