mmilliken@heraldsun.com; 419-6684
DURHAM -- The way Jorge Garcia and his sponsors see it, a handful of trained and determined teenagers can improve the health of their community.
Garcia is one of 11 North Carolina teens recently named to the Statewide Youth Council, a new initiative of the North Carolina School Community Health Alliance. The alliance has been training the youngsters to conduct local health assessments, a step that will be followed by local health-oriented endeavors.
Anne Derouin, a pediatric nurse practitioner who runs a clinic at Southern High School, recommended Garcia for the council. The student, a Southern senior who was born in Mexico, has ushered many peers into her facility.
"He's just been terrific in bringing Spanish-speaking people to the clinic and being able to help with translating whatever services are available," Derouin said.
She noted Garcia's ability to make connections, whether in person or through e-mail, his smart phone or his Facebook account.
"I've found him to be really admired by his peers and by girls and the guys," the clinician said.
To meet Garcia is to encounter a young man with a sense of purpose.
"I'm bilingual and I also want to help the people, the Spanish people [because] most are not as informed of health issues or health laws, things like that," he said.
He has prior experience with peer health education, having participated in a Planned Parenthood program called Joven a Joven.
"It helped me to learn words and things that I can do in my community with my friends," Garcia said. He described the program as focused on "different methods that they have to prevent pregnancy and abortion."
Despite his relative youth, Garcia said he has seen many people who are scared or suffering and feeling isolated -- whether due to pregnancy or some other reason.
Although he is still in the assessment phase of his project, he is interested in concentrating on mental health.
Garcia left school early the afternoon of Dec. 14 to travel to Chapel Hill for the School Community Health Alliance's annual conference. Along with another member of the youth council, he got to address an audience of health-care professionals from around the state.
Next summer, Garcia plans to enroll at Durham Technical Community College to pursue an associate's degree in computer science. He would ultimately like to earn at least a master's degree.
But as he prepares to finish up high school, he sounds determined to help change Durham for the better.
"I wanted to be involved because I can go back to my school, my community and teach them what I have learned so they can be also informed on some things I am doing," he said. "Maybe they can join the group too and make it a big group and make a big difference in Durham, N.C., and all over the country."
