Woodland Hills hosts Western Pa. school districts for summit to address social issues
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When Cassidy Laffey took a sophomore robotics class at Shaler High School, she was the only female.
“Everyone, even the teacher, was male,” said Laffey, a senior. “I felt out of place because I didn’t see people like me in that class. I want females to know they can study robotics and other science, technology, engineering or math careers.”
Smashing stereotypes of male versus female careers was one of several issues discussed Friday during a summit of high school students from various communities in Western Pennsylvania. Host school Woodland Hills in Churchill invited other districts to participate, including Aliquippa, Avonworth, Belle Vernon Area, Mt. Lebanon, Shaler and Westmont Hilltop in Johnstown.
About 130 students joined in.
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The teens talked about social issues such as racial and social injustice, mental health, sexual orientation, gender discrimination and bias, and lack of unity. They chose the topics and led morning and afternoon sessions.
It was an opportunity for them to engage with peers from other districts. Friday marked the third year that Woodland Hills has hosted.
“I wanted to create a place where students from many districts can tell their stories,” said Erin Wall, a Woodland Hills English teacher and co-sponsor of the event. “Teenagers are resilient. Our district has endured a lot of loss. The goal of the summit was ‘Unity Through Collaboration.’ ”
The first year, the summit was made up of just Woodland Hills students. Last year, other districts participated virtually.
David Brown, a social studies teacher and co-sponsor, said meeting in person was a marked improvement over last year’s virtual summit.
“The dialogue has been great,” Brown said. “These students are our leaders of tomorrow. They came up with innovative ideas, which is a testament to all the students. Adults and youth have more in common than they think.”
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Josiah Martin, a senior at Woodland Hills, said it was healthy to openly discuss differences and misunderstandings.
During the racial and social injustice session, students discussed the importance of forming a relationship between communities and police.
Woodland Hills senior Haj Abdullah was one of the leaders in that session. She was inspired by her older sister Bilquisu Abdullah, who attends Georgetown University, and was among the original organizers.
“She is such a wonderful role model, that I am happy to follow in her footsteps,” Haj Abdullah said. “I didn’t know how much work went into planning this, but now I do and I would do it all over again because this summit is helping all of us.”
Fellow alumnus Desmon Jackson, who attends Point Park University, has two younger brothers and wants to set an example for them.
Because of her membership in Stand Together, an initiative in Allegheny County that inspires youth to take action against the stigma associated with mental illness and substance use disorders, Sophia Mamakos, a senior at Woodland Hills, said she wanted to be a leader.
She led a session on mental health.
“I want to break the stigma surrounding mental health,” Mamakos said. “We need to appreciate ourselves as people over cellular devices.”
She and other leaders discussed that all areas of our life can affect mental health.
“You can’t help a friend until you help yourself first,” Mamakos said. “Even little things can make a big difference. The summit helped all of us talk candidly about how we feel.”
They addressed the emotional, spiritual and physical side of mental health. It’s OK to say “no” to going out sometimes and spend time with yourself, Mamakos said.
The spiritual aspect doesn’t have to be religious. It can be meditation or visiting a quiet place. Physical doesn’t have to involve going to the gym. It can be taking a walk or turning on music and dancing in your room. Sleep is an important part of self-care, she said.
“If you are feeling overwhelmed, reach out to someone who loves you,” Mamakos said. “And stop apologizing all the time. For example, instead of saying ‘I am sorry. I know I talk a lot.’ Say, ‘Thank you for listening to me.’ ”
Part of the discussion involved recognizing a toxic relationship.
At lunch, Mariya Moseley, a 2011 Woodland Hills graduate and journalist at ABC, addressed the students virtually.
The summit was made possible in part through Penn State Extension 4-H, Pennsylvania’s largest youth development organization and L.I.G.H.T. Education Initiative, an education initiative that connects K-12 students to community members.
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Rachel Coleman, a senior at Shaler who is interested in women’s studies in college, said she wanted to take a leadership role in the summit because it will better help her to understand issues everyone faces.
“I am honored to be here,” Laffey said. “I hope I inspired just one person to follow their dreams.”