Westchester County Youth Leadership Taskforce Honored for Substance Abuse Prevention Efforts

WHITE PLAINS, NY (May 23, 2023) — — Westchester County Executive George Latimer recently honored a group of students from across Westchester who have worked throughout the school year to prevent substance abuse among their peers.

The Westchester County Youth Leadership Taskforce consists of 60 students from 26 schools. These student leaders work in their schools and home communities to identify the needs of local youths and implement strategies to encourage them to make healthy choices.

“I applaud these students for the care and concern they have for their classmates and for their efforts to encourage all young people to live healthy lives,” Latimer said. “The work that we do on behalf of our County’s youth is stronger because of their input and contributions.”

Among the 60 students are 11 from the Sound Shore area, including Gabrielle Roberge, Lucy Casanova, Najah McCutchen, Samara Brecher from New Rochelle High School; Adriana Craig and Jacquelyn Pennetta from Pelham Memorial High School; Alyssa Artabane and Emily Solow from Blind Brook High School; and Carys Samos, Lily Oberbannsheidt, and Taylor Gori from Rye High School.

About 30 students recently attended the taskforce’s last meeting of this school year, which was held at the Michaelian County office Building in White Plains. Latimer heard their perspectives on teen vaping, alcohol use, marijuana use and other substance abuse issues.

Pictured above at the last meeting are:

• New Rochelle High School: Gabrielle Roberge, Lucy Casanova, Najah McCutchen, Samara Brecher
• Pelham Memorial High School: Adriana Craig, Jacquelyn Pennetta
• Blind Brook High School: Alyssa Artabane, Emily Solow
• Rye High School: Carys Samos, Lily Oberbannsheidt, Taylor Gori
  

These students are among the 60 members of the Westchester County Youth Leadership Taskforce who were recently honored for their work throughout the school year to prevent substance abuse among their peers.

The Youth Leadership Taskforce is part of the Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth and is coordinated by Student Assistance Services in conjunction with the County’s Office of Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI. The taskforce is charged with contributing ideas for countywide substance use prevention strategies and implementing those strategies in members’ schools and local communities.

“We thank and honor our student leaders for their commitment to be positive influencers for their peers and make a difference in the County and their local communities. Their message to remain drug free and make healthy choices helps to foster physical and emotional well-being among their fellow students,” said Patricia McCarthy Tomassi, director of the Office of Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI.

A main focus for the youth taskforce this year was a ‘marijuana awareness campaign’ that was targeted for release around April 20. While that date has been associated with using marijuana, many schools designate it as “Healthy Brain Day” to remind students of the health risks of marijuana use by youth.

The taskforce is also part of the Westchester County Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth – the “umbrella” coalition for the approximately 25 local community substance use prevention coalitions in the County.

Members of the Westchester County Youth Leadership Taskforce are:

SCHOOL

NAME

Alexander Hamilton High School Blind Brook High School Blind Brook High School Briarcliff Manor High School Briarcliff Manor High School Dobbs Ferry High School Fox Lane High School Fox Lane High School Harrison High School Harrison High School Hastings High School Hastings High School Hastings High School Hastings High School Hendrick Hudson High School Hendrick Hudson High School Horace Greeley High School Horace Greeley High School Irvington High School Irvington High School Irvington High School Irvington High School John Jay High School John Jay High School Lincoln High School Lincoln High School New Rochelle High School New Rochelle High School New Rochelle High School New Rochelle High School Pelham Memorial High School Pelham Memorial High School Pleasantville High School Pleasantville High School Riverside High School Riverside High School Rye High School Rye High School Rye High School Saunders Trades & Technical High School Saunders Trades & Technical High School Scarsdale High School Scarsdale High School Sleepy Hollow High School Sleepy Hollow High School Somers High School Somers High School Walter Panas High School Yonkers Montessori Academy Yonkers Montessori Academy Yorktown High School Yorktown High School Yorktown High School Yorktown High School

Angela Mathew Alyssa Artabane Emily Solow Fatihah Islam Phoebe Rubin Melody Bonano Aulona Demehasaj Emily McCarthy Olivia Naparano Remi Badner Austin Schiffer Elianna Carvalho Erin Lobovsky Sophie Halliburton Ashley Coronel Emmelin Chuquimarca Annika Pillai Violet Christensen Alison Raimondo Alexandra Cloutman Scarlett Zumbro Syian Sawain Alice Cai Audrey Oestreicher Kajal Chauhan Leila Simmons Gabrielle Roberge Lucy Casanova Najah McCutchen Samara Brecher Adriana Craig Jacquelyn Pennetta Allison Vamossy Philip Dundie Michael Williams Saoirse Coyler Carys Samos Lily Oberbannsheidt Taylor Gori Asiyah Abbas Yoselin Sanchez Caitlin Higgins Tayt Rompala Natalia Wagner Ywomie Mota Maya Shirakura Victoria Olsen Kailey Burdett Easellen Boateng Jean Valdez Annabelle Newberger Madelon Gorman Talia Pierson Vaishnavi Ravindranath