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April Jackson is Thrive Allen County’s Rural Health Coordinator, responsible for six counties of the Southeast Kansas Substance Misuse Prevention Coalition. She was looking for a positive, engaging speaker to speak to students and youth at her middle and high schools on the topic of vaping, marijuana / THC and alcohol. April found Vive18 drug prevention speaker Jake White on the CADCA online forum for coalition leaders across the nation. The idea hosting sober social events with her students on the youth prevention coalition really caught her attention. She said the students really had fun listening to the positive message that you can have fun without drugs or drinking. Dan, the media coordinator and former Upward Bound program director said, “It was an honest, real and clear message that didn’t come across as preachy. Jake is such a natural, authentic speaker.” April said that the marijuana piece of the presentation really showed how much student don’t know about cannabis.

They truly believed that cannabis products aren’t addictive and Jake was able to show them otherwise. We need to keep doing this important education. She also appreciated that Jake showed the students how to get those good feelings without using drugs. The presentation had an overall theme about choices that we make every day. Life has meaning and purpose and every person matters. Both Dan and April said that everyone should hear Vive18’s message because it’s positive, non-judgmental and loving.