Post date: Mar 29, 2015 10:5:20 PM
Danielle Alan, staff
During the week of Feb. 2-6, seven students from SBHS -- Beau Ireland, Danielle Alan, Taylor Erlenbush, Jordana Shuck, Jackie Killian, Christian Avery, and Austin Biers -- received the opportunity to go to the CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions in America) conference held at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in Washington, DC, thanks to ABC (Actions for the Betterment of the Community) and YLT (Youth Leadership Team) at the high school.
In order to attend the conference, individuals had to answer questions about why they wanted to attend the conference and what they would take from it. Everyone selected noted they wanted to learn how they could make a difference in the community of Sturgis.
Jackie Killian said, “I think the information I gained can play a role in the community by taking the information and using it to help bring awareness and the ways to help decrease the problems we have in Sturgis.”
“My favorite part of the trip was getting spend time with the kids,” counselor Dadra Avery said.
On Wednesday everybody got the chance to get to know each other a little better by touring DC. On Wednesday, the group went to the Holocaust Museum, Air and Space Museum, Archive, Washington Monument, Lincoln Monument, Vietnam War Memorial, Korean War Memorial, World War II Memorial, the Wax Museum and Ford’s Theater.
After touring DC Taylor Erlenbush (10) said, “I have a greater appreciation for history after seeing what Washington DC had to offer.’
Everybody who went to the conference learned different aspects of leadership.
Jordana Shuck said, “ I learned how to put a plan into action and how to make our community safer.”
“I learned about the millennial [generation] and the different ways to work with them. You have to approach the kids using social media,” counselor Shawn Koontz said.
After attending the conference the students hope to bring back knowledge to help make a positive change in Sturgis area.
Overall, it was a great trip and everybody really enjoyed it. It was a great opportunity to take what they learned and to put it into action.