[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px 30px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h1″ accent=”true” class=”cs-ta-center”]SLS Saved Me![/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px 20px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text] I have fifteen years of mostly bad and some good to write about. How can I keep this to five paragraphs? At the beginning of high school, I was lost. For a couple of months I just existed. I didn’t play any sports or have extracurricular activities. I didn’t have any friends, and I didn’t speak to many people. That all changed the day my mom FORCED me to go to SLS (Students Leading Students), an organization that helps people who are lost find a way and make positive decisions in life. What I didn’t know was how happy these people could make me.

My favorite part of high school was SLS. Every Monday SLS met after school for an hour. After the general meeting, the board members would go to our advisor, Mr. Bartlett’s room to discuss that meeting, plan a future meeting and plan future events. I looked forward to SLS every Monday and I also did everything and anything I could to help out the board members and Mr. Bartlett. I even became known as the “Kool-Aid girl”. I made my famous mystery Kool-Aid every Monday for the meetings. I would even have a contest to see who could guess the Kool-Aid flavor. If the person guessed the flavor correctly, he or she would receive a small prize.

[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text] Every month would be a new topic. For example, February would be relationships and March would be drugs/alcohol. We would have certain events going on those months, like March 17 would be Grim Reaper Day because that is the “drinking day”, when a lot of people would make bad decisions, drink and drive, or get in a car with someone who had been drinking. We went around being silent the whole day to represent the people who died because of drinking and driving. We got others to participate as well. With the prevention activity we would also have a fun activity planned. We would have paintball, a lock-in, or a movie night to reflect on the lesson. It helped fund future events we wished to do.

As second semester rolled around, I got more involved in SLS. I went up to State Conference with all of my new friends. I was still a little shy, but every meeting we would have to interact with everyone in a fun and entertaining way, so I actually started talking to people. Making friends within SLS became easier. Everyone was friendly, easy to talk to, and had similar reasons why they joined SLS. I started seeing the friends I made in my classes, in the halls, and at lunch. I started talking more and making more friends.

[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px 20px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text] If I hadn’t joined SLS, I don’t think high school or my life in general would be a good experience. Everything would be different, and I wouldn’t have met so many amazing and bright people. I love SLS. I still go to activities and visit Mr. Bartlett and my friends. I also may volunteer since I’m no longer in high school and an adult now. Back in September, SLS was going up to camp and needed a driver, so they asked me and I happily said, “Yes!” It is great being a role model and showing new students how things run. It would be amazing if every school had a SLS organization[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]