WESTFIELD – At a recent meeting of the You Lead group at Westfield Technical Academy, student leader Jaisen Gomez, a senior in Allied Health, said it’s sometimes hard to gather people the last few months of the year. “Now that we’re all getting older, the majority of us have jobs and sports,” Gomez said.
You Lead group members Isaiah Leveck, Jaisen Gomez, Emily White and faculty advisor Kyle Dulude. (Photo by Amy Porter)
You Lead is a student-run peer-mentoring group that formed six years ago, with a mission to abstain or refrain from drugs and alcohol, and to create a positive atmosphere for students. Science teacher and faculty adviser Kyle Dulude, who coaches basketball and soccer at the school, said anyone can come at any time to participate. Dulude said You Lead has about ten core members, plus another ten floaters who meet every other Tuesday.
“Students are under a lot of stress. This group is open for anyone to talk about how to be a better person, and about their struggles. That’s the way we learn,” Dulude said.
“It’s for anyone who wants to join. High school is becoming more clique-oriented. For students who feel like they don’t belong, You Lead is a place for anybody to hang out,” Gomez said.
One of the focuses of You Lead is reaching out and helping people, both in the school and in the wider community. Among their activities this year was shoveling snow for a resident who uses a wheel chair.
Isaiah Leveck, a senior in Construction Tech joined the group this year. “I like helping people. I like seeing people smile after I do hard work for them for free. It makes me feel good inside,” Leveck said.
“During the meetings, I like to help people with what’s going on. It’s my safe place, I can open up to them,” said Emily White, a junior in Culinary Arts. She also talked about the focus on community service, which she defined as “not doing something for myself, but something that benefits other people.”
Gomez said You Lead is also involved in a few big things, like cancer awareness. The group helps to run the Box Out for Cancer Tri-county championship at the start of the basketball season.
Dulude said his first inspiration for the championship, which is dedicated to people fighting cancer, was a three-year-old named Malila who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a disease with a 10% survival rate. Dulude knew her family, and shared her fight to get well with the students. Today, Malia is 8, and doing well. Her story may be found at Maliacrushescancer.org.
For the last two years, the championship has been dedicated to people in the participating schools that are fighting cancer, or who lost the battle. Among the schools that participate are Gateway Regional, Smith Vocational and St. Mary’s. At WTA, the tournament raises money for a scholarship in memory of Jon Wiley, a Construction Tech teacher and basketball coach who passed away from the disease.
“Cancer is one of those things that affects a lot of people,” Gomez said. “Everyone around you,” White added. Box Out Cancer became even more meaningful to the students this year, when one of their own at Westfield Technical Academy was diagnosed with the disease.
“When a friend was diagnosed, I thought I can’t be the only person with a friend who has cancer. Our focus is on trying to help our friends,” Gomez said.
Their friend, Yelizaveta (Liza) Belyakova, is a senior at WTA in Business Tech, who was diagnosed this year, and has been undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.
Contacted at home, Belyakova said that she was also a part of You Lead. She said the group brought together students for good causes, and was a great way to socialize outside of school.
“I think it’s amazing. When I was sick, they sent me a basket with cookies and stuff. It was very sweet. They also gave me t-shirts from the basketball game they arranged, to show their support,” she said.
Liza said she wasn’t able to make it to the games because she was undergoing treatment. Friends took snapshots of posters they had made which had her name on them. Later, they gave her the posters.
Liza said she won’t be returning to school this year due to her treatments, but she should be graduating in June with her class.
In his remarks at the “Box Out Cancer” championship in the fall, Dulude said, “Liza, you have been an inspiration to me as a teacher, you have showed me the true meaning of courage and bravery and you have taught me once again how fragile life can be, yet how powerful and strong and influential one human being can be to another. We all at Westfield Tech will continue to pray for you as you continue your battle to keep your cancer in remission.”
Another big activity that You Lead students organize every year is a blood drive for students at the school. This year, the drive, run by the Red Cross will be held on Thursday, April 27, from 9 am to 2:45 pm. The United Way of Pioneer Valley is also helping as part of their Youth Generate campaign, and will be providing free lunch for donors at Tiger’s Pride.
The You Lead group is also a great way to socialize after school, says members. (Photo submitted)
Besides doing community service projects, the group hangs out together, eats pizza, and watches movies or goes bowling. The last two years they also went to a Red Sox game in June. This year they hope to go again, but said they will have to raise the money.
“Everything we do, we have to fundraise. It’s so hard, because the group is so well-hearted, they would rather give the money back,” Dulude said.
You Lead hopes to raise the money to go to the game at a school-wide tag sale on Saturday, April 29 from 9 am to 12 noon in the upper campus parking lot, where they will have a table along with other service clubs and organizations in the school.
Gomez said he learned about the You Lead group his sophomore year when he was playing soccer and his teammate Vitaliy Melnik invited him to a meeting. Melnik led the group until he transferred to Agawam High School this year when his family moved. Both Gomez and Melnik became certified nursing assistants at the pinning ceremony at WTA in February.
Gomez said after graduation, he is deciding between going to Springfield Technical Community College for sciences, which he said opens up health care, or joining the Army.
He said You Lead was the best decision he ever made. “It helped me develop as a person. I’m thankful. You’re surrounded by people you trust, who will go to the end of the world for you,” Gomez said.
“I love it. I’m so happy I joined,” said White. She said Gomez was the one who told her about it.
Dulude said he was happy to hear You Lead described by the group as a safe place. “I think of it that way. I just enjoy giving the students a venue to enjoy life stress-free, to get away from the grind and enjoy each other’s company, and to find happiness helping others and having an appreciation for life,” he said.
