Thank you for a well-written article about sex trafficking and healthy relationships. As co-president of the Sexual Health Education Club (SHEC) I appreciated being included. However, I believe my quotes did not fully express my respect for the embedded health program’s strong value to students. Allison Luskey and Amy Pieper-Bierchem both do an excellent job of connecting with students, even on topics beyond the embedded health curriculum, and often in one-on-one meetings. SHEC is essentially an extension of the embedded health class, founded by students with Mrs. Luskey’s help; she has continued as our adviser. Some Park students may be more comfortable sharing experiences with fellow students in the smaller, more informal setting that SHEC provides. Some may prefer to talk about the issues they face with friends, with a natural helper or with a trusted adult. I hope that every student at our school can get the help they need in one way or another. The embedded health program and SHEC hope to help as many students as possible get the resources they need to stay healthy. Both the health classes and SHEC work together to create an overall safer school environment.

– Philip Djerf, junior SHEC co-president