At the May 29 Board of Education meeting, 11 Linden High School juniors were honored as trailblazers of a new kind of leadershipโone that promotes wellness, positive relationships, and peer empowerment through the ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช ๐พ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ผ๐ข๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ง๐๐ข.
Spearheaded in ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฎ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐ผ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฅ, the initiative is a bold step in recognizing that young people donโt have to wait to make a difference. As ๐๐๐ต๐น๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒnoted during the recognition ceremony:
โ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐโ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ฒ.โ
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก-๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ , ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ. Rooted in values like healthy decision-making, character development, goal-setting, and building meaningful relationships, the program has helped cultivate a community of young leaders committed to transforming their school from the inside out.
๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐งโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ
Over the course of the school year, these student ambassadors participated in intensive leadership training, health education workshops, and a two-and-a-half-day leadership camp, where they deepened their understanding of peer leadership and personal growth.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
โข ๐ง๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น
โข ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ
โข ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ
โข ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฒ
โข ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ
โข ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ต๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ฒ๐
โข ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฎ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐
โข ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐
โข ๐๐ต๐ณ๐๐๐ต๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฑ
โข ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฅ๐ผ๐๐
โข ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ก๐ฒ๐ถ๐น ๐๐ผ๐น๐บ๐ฎ๐ป
โThese students have stepped forward as role models,โ Firestone said. โThey are leading by example, and the impact is being felt throughout our school community.โ
๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
Firestone thanked Barbara Brady, Supervisor of Health, Physical Education, and Medical Personnel, for her leadership in guiding the program. He also acknowledged the contributions of educators Marissa DelloRusso, Kelly Gonzalez, Erin Batz, and the entire team of ROTC, Health, and Physical Education teachers, crediting them with recognizing the leadership potential in each student and nurturing it every step of the way.
The district also extended deep appreciation to the New Jersey Physicians Advisory Group, whose support has been instrumental in bringing the vision to life. Special thanks were given to Peggy Cowan, President, and Claudy Antoine, Director of the NJPAG, for their commitment to student development and health education.
โThis program is not just about a few students taking part in some workshops,โ Firestone emphasized.
โIt is about building a culture of leadership, wellness, and personal responsibilityโqualities that will ripple outward and help shape the future of our school and our city.โ
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐: ๐๐๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง
At the end of his remarks, Firestone reminded the room that the title of the program wasnโt just a sloganโit was a message, a mission, and a movement:
โThe name of the program says it allโYES You Can. And to our students, staff, and supportersโyou certainly did.โ