THS student council presents at TASB

Five Teague High School Student Council students presented at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Winter Governance 2024 in Galveston on March 1. Presenting this year were Kenady Morris, Natalie Gomez, Grace Smith, Landon Evans, and Omar Perez.

Founded in 2017, Voices Against the Void at Teague High School is a project that covers statistics over the leading causes of suicide, victims’, viewpoints, and available support.

The project’s aim is to prepare students and staff to assess the warning signs and to serve as advocates for suicide prevention. Attendees also receive information to implement mental health projects within their school.

The entire presentation is created by students and presented by students. Their Advisor Taylor Hamilton helps them edit, tweak and practice the presentation.

“This is the fifth group that has gone to present at this conference. The Class of 2018 recognized that THS did not have a program that aims to educate their peers on the leading cause of death among teens,” Hamilton said. “They created a presentation and spoke to the entire student body in 2017. In 2018 they applied and were accepted to present at the 2018 TASB Winter Governance.” Each year, except for 2021 due to COVID, a group HAS applied, gotten accepted and present to educate board members on the silent epidemic that is teen suicide. About 20% contemplate suicide and 10% have attempted suicide. They present risk factors, warning signs (4 of 5 suicide victims show clear warning signs), how the media influences teens, and what THS student council does to help improve the mental health of the student body.

Specifically, student council members do greetings in the morning each day with hopes to start student’s day with a smile and for the students to know that they are seen. THS has not had a student commit suicide, but many teens battle with their mental health and student council hopes to be helping hand.

Hamilton said the presentation is always well received and many attendees will ask additional questions. Some attendees left their contacts so the student council representatives could send them additional information or even present to their staff and students.

“We believe the next step with this program is to speak to other schools and staff,” Hamilton said. “Our goal is to not only inform our students and staff at THS but to make sure other schools know what their students could be battling and what they can do to help them.”