Page 6 - Teens Connect Impact Report 19/20

What Teens Connect Means To Me
“The impact that Teens Connect has had on my life is next to impossible to describe. From providing me with the tool belt to save a life from suicide to allowing me to travel across the globe, this organization has enriched my life on many levels. Teens Connect has shown me the true love that exists within humanity, as well as given me hope for the future. The world was blessed
with the birth of Teens Connect. I feel fortunate and proud to have taken part.”
Makenzie Payne, Teen Council President
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“I had a happy childhood, but things began to change in my pre-teen and early teen years. Mental health was never a topic that I talked about with my parents, so I had no idea why I was feeling the way I did. I thought it was
wrong of me to feel sad and tired while there were others with much less than me. It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school that true positive change began in my life. This change began by attending a Teens Connect Wellness Café. At the gathering I felt heard, seen and understood. I learned strategies to cope with stress and anxiety that I use to this day. For several months I followed the work of Teens Connect but didn’t respond to opportunities to get involved until the end of the school year. I am so glad I did. I met with
Jeni and attended a Youth Mental Health First Aid workshop and shortly after joined the Teen Council. Nearly four years later, I cannot see my life without Teens Connect. I have connected with other teenagers and many mentors, volunteered in my community and received tools to not only support and
take care of myself, but also my brother and others around me. Teens Connect helped me to find my voice again. I am truly grateful for this experience and the people who have been a part of it. Teens Connect has been an important factor in my journey towards happiness and self-love in my teen years, in a world that challenges us every day.”
Mariana Diaz, Teen Council Vice President