My name is Jaeliene Ray, and I am a sophomore at Arrowhead Park Early College High School. This year is my first year in Evolvement. I joined Evolvement because I wanted to help improve our community. I first heard about Evolvement at the beginning of my freshman year, and I would have joined then, but I was trying to get acclimated to high school. Then, the leadership team at my school came into my first-period class this year and talked about it, reminding me why I should join.
The training was during school hours, which I found very convenient, as I didn’t have to come in early or stay after school, so it fit perfectly into my schedule. At the training, they told us what Evolvement is and the partnerships they work with, such as No Minor Sale, 24/7, and Own Your Air. They provided us with a lot of information on how to set up a booth at an event or present to schools or principals about the use of tobacco in tobacco tools, and made the training fun, so you weren’t just sitting there listening to all their information. They had trivia and prize opportunities, and at the end there was even a chance to win a gift card. My favorite activity was acting out certain injuries to talk about health equity vs. health equality. It was a fun opportunity to stretch while also having an interactive activity to understand the true meanings of health equality and equity.
A major thing I took away is that just because we aren’t adults doesn’t mean we can’t make an impact on our community and make it a better environment for children in schools in our community. It benefited everyone at the training, as we now have the ability and understanding to raise a serious issue with students, teachers, legislators, and people in positions of higher authority. This is a huge benefit, and when going out to promote a cause like this, you get to network, which can open many doors for all of us. I highly recommend that everyone look into Evolvement and become a member. Not only do you get to make an impact, but you also get points for everything you do, and those points allow you to get rewards.
