Above The Influence
My name is Ryan Donley and I am the new Prevention Educator here at Child Advocacy. I am a Gratiot County native that graduated from Ithaca High School in 2015. After high school I received my Bachelors of Science in public relations from Central Michigan University.
I am beyond excited that I have the opportunity to not only come home to Gratiot County, but work with and inspire the youth in our county schools. As the Prevention Educator, I will continue to run the Above The Influence program in all Gratiot County high schools. The program has grown over the past year and I am looking to use that momentum to bring the program to new heights.
Above The Influence is a group where teens get together once a week to talk about all of the influences and obstacles in their life. As a group we discuss how to overcome these obstacles, take care of one’s mental health, and how to rise above the peer pressure to use substances like alcohol, vape pens, and marijuana.
This year’s ATI students are wanting to focus mainly on the topic of mental health and educating their fellow students on the resources that are available to help them. Our ATI students have the mindset that helping with depression, and other mental health obstacles, will decrease the number of students vaping, or using other substances, in their schools.
During the ATI Fourth Annual Leadership Summit our groups planned how to turn these ideas and conversations into action through awareness nights, new school traditions, and several educational events. Seeing these students so motivated and passionate about making changes in their school has been inspirational and uplifting to me. The sky is the limit for these students and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish this school year.
Ryan Donley
GCSAC Prevention Educator
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