Westchester County Youth Leadership Taskforce Honored for Substance Abuse Prevention Efforts

Written By: Robert Cox

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

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