By Cameron Estrada, School-Based Health Alliance Youth Advisory Council Member on August 4, 2015
In June, I had the great privilege to travel to Austin, Texas, to participate in the Youth Program at the 2015 National School-Based Health Care Convention. It was an opportunity that I am deeply grateful for.
On my first day in Austin, I participated in a panel with my fellow Youth Advisory Council member Nicole Carillo and the School-Based Health Alliance’s Leadership Fellows. The Fellows asked me and Nicole different questions about youth. This was one of the most fun parts of the entire trip!
To have discussions with adults who treated me like an equal and valued my opinions and thoughts was amazing.
Little did I know that this would continue throughout the week. People listened to us, and together we learned so much from each other.
I learned how to engage other youth, be a better leader, and become a better champion for my school-based health center (SBHC), for the School-Based Health Alliance, and for my peers by participating in the 2015 convention and the Youth Program. I also met some other youth during my time in Austin that were truly wonderful. We had faced similar challenges and dealt with them all differently. I got some great ideas to take back to my own community from my fellow youth, which paired perfectly with the lessons at the various workshops I attended while on the Youth Program.
I cannot express how thankful I am to have attended the 2015 National School-Based Health Care Convention. It was an experience unlike any other. I taught, and I learned. A rare combination to find anywhere.