600 students attend Youth Empowerment Summit

More than 600 middle school students from every school in Sussex County attended the Center for Prevention and Counseling’s 24th annual Youth Empowerment Summit.

The theme was “We Are All In This Together,” and the students were joined by 150 high school mentors, school advisers and volunteers Oct. 17 in McNeice Auditorium at Sussex County Technical School.

The event included workshops, performances, discussions and a digital backpack of resources.

“Since 2001, the summit has given students a platform to learn from one another and develop impactful, youth-led action plans,” said Tina Aue, director of prevention services at the Center for Prevention & Counseling.

The keynote speaker was Eric Kussin, chief executive of #SameHere Global, who discussed his 20-year career in professional sports and his journey through trauma and recovery.

“All of us will experience challenges in life that affect our mental health - not just the one in five diagnosed with a mental illness but the five in five,” he said. “How we cope with these challenges, when we seek help and who we seek help from plays a pivotal role in our recovery process and journey.”

Jill Wolack, a counselor at Byram Intermediate School, said, “I loved how he really identified that mental health can be measured in all people, at all ages, not just some people that have a problem. He gave real examples of how stigma can be a roadblock to people seeking treatment.

“Middle schoolers often feel isolated and experience feeling that they should ‘be’ or ‘feel’ like everyone else, especially if they are having a problem or dealing with adversity,” she said.

“As a middle school counselor for more than 15 years, I can tell you that connecting students with each other, allowing them to feel that their mental health affects their lives, and that everyone’s mental health matters is invaluable..”

Jennifer Magrogan of Hilltop Country Day School said, “This was my first time attending the summit, and it won’t be the last. The summit is such a valuable and unique experience for our students to talk about real issues they’re dealing with directly or indirectly in their everyday lives. The high school students truly made the program worthwhile.”

The summit is a key initiative of the Sussex County Coalition for Healthy and Safe Communities, a program of the Center for Prevention & Counseling. The event was supported by Visions Federal Credit Union grant funding and in-kind donations from Ronetco ShopRite.

The platinum sponsor was the Hession Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting community initiatives that increase awareness and education about alcohol and substance use in communities where SNOW Partners companies do business.