Shining The Light on Outstanding Youth Ambassadors
At Gabriel’s Light, we work with our youth ambassadors to understand the warning signs of suicide and how to help people at risk. It is extremely heartwarming to see our youth ambassadors put their knowledge to use in their school and lives. We’d like to take a moment to highlight and applaud three of our youth ambassadors today - please read on!
Speaking Up In Your Community - Spotlight on William Schetz
A concerning incident occurred at the high school of youth ambassador William Schetz. A Chicago teacher was supsended after he hung a lost Black doll from a cord in his classroom, claiming he did so to ensure it was found. An altercation between a Black teacher and this white teacher ensued. When news outlets came to the school to report on the incident, they wanted some input from a student. What good fortune that they asked our Youth Ambassador, Will, who was also a good friend of Gabe's from Boy Scouts. Will told the reporters that the teacher should have considered the impact of his actions.
"He definitely should have thought about it because that could be really sensitive, especially being an African-American doll,” Will said. “And even something like that, like suicidal, could trigger suicidal thoughts.”
We are so proud of Will that through his experience with Gabe and as a youth ambassador, he was able to make such thoughtful comments with poise. Will has been very involved with Gabriel’s Light since its inception and it is awesome to watch him share his knowledge with others. We are happy and proud to #ShineTheLight on William Schetz!
Read the entire article about this incident here.
Using Your Voice to Educate Others - Spotlight on Lake Linebaugh & Anabel Seiler
This duo of youth ambassadors is working on their Girl Scout Silver Award together. The Girl Scout Silver Award is a chance for participating Girl Scouts to show dedication and leadership toward their communities. The goal is to develop a project that will have long term positive effects on others. Lake and Anabel have chosen to educate Girl Scout Juniors (3rd-5th grade) about bullying and cyberbullying. They have put together a comprehensive slideshow to use in their educating efforts - chalk full of definitions, example scenarios, role playing exercises, as well as graphics to help explain the different types of bullying.
We are extremely proud that Lake and Anabel have chosen this important topic, a pillar of Gabriel’s Light’s mission, to base their Silver Award project on. We know that 20% of students ages 12-18 report having been bullied. By helping younger Girl Scouts learn what bullying and cyberbullying is, how to prevent it, and how to respond in a bullying situation, Lake and Anabel will be doing invaluable work toward preventing bullying in the first place. We are excited to #ShineTheLight on Lake Linebaugh and Anabel Seiler and can’t wait to see their final project this fall!
“Our names are Anabel Seiler and Lake Linebaugh , and we are 8th grade students looking to earn our Girl scout Silver Award by bringing to light the severity of bullying and cyberbullying. Both of these issues are serious and should not be taken lightly. It is our goal that by being here, we can help you learn and identify signs of bullying so that you are better prepared to help someone in need.”
Lake and Anabel don’t want to limit themselves to only this group of local Girl Scouts - they want to reach further. They have asked us to publish their final slideshow on our website which we are happy to do. Check back this fall for the full update on their project!
Learn More
We understand that adolescents are often more comfortable talking about their feelings of depression with a peer rather than an adult. If more young people can learn the warning signs of suicide, know how to help a friend at risk, and tips for speaking out and being an upstander against bullying, we can truly save lives.
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We never charge a fee for our work. If you know of a school, an after school program, an organization, or a potential youth ambassador that could use our services, please refer them to us by emailing us here.
About Gabriel's Light
In 2019, Carol and Brendan Deely founded Gabriel’s Light in honor of their son who died by suicide at age 12. In honor of Gabe and all those lost to suicide, they share their journey with the hope that others may learn and grow from their tragedy. Focusing on three pillars of cyber safety, suicide prevention, and kindness campaigns, through outreach, programs, partnerships, and funding, they raise awareness and inspire youth, parents, and educators to take action and help forward their mission.