In a busy environment, the smallest actions can make an impactful difference. Interact Club, a community-service organization, works to create a positive influence that includes raising awareness.
Over Dec. 6-8, 2024, a few select members of the club attended the Youth Leadership Awards in Blacksburg, Virginia. This conference was a gathering point for members of Rotary-based clubs, including Interact. Those who attended came to realize the genuine power of their voice.
“Anyone could really be a leader,” said senior Amanda Quessenberry, one of the members who attended the conference.
For the hundreds of students present, the itinerary included guest speakers and an award ceremony. Of all those who spoke out for their respective topic though, one stood out to those who attended.
The speaker, Amelia Stansell, was there on the final day and offered a speech on an often overlooked topic.
“She presented at the conference and her whole message was about human trafficking,” said club sponsor Mariel Story. “And one of her points that really raised awareness for our members who went was how much of a hotspot Bristol is.”
According to the club’s president, sophomore Lily Chen, Stansell said that the I-81 corridor makes the Bristol area prone to this high concentration. After witnessing her speech on the matter, it has become one of the club’s goals to bring Stansell to speak at the school.
“It was a really eye-opening experience to know that so much trafficking happens in our area,” said senior Anna Grace Hodges. “You hear about stuff like that but you never think it’s going to be in your backyard.”
With the club’s hope of raising awareness, they are taking on projects in addition to this goal. One of these involves the bulletin board in the English hallway. The club hopes to revitalize it and use it to further their message.
“Our hope is to use this bulletin board and to change it out every month to inform people about a specific culture or a different people group,” said Story. “This is to just raise awareness on campus.”
Another project the club has completed so far was preparing 10 boxes for Operation Christmas Child, where the club bought supplies, labels, and packages and came together to assemble the boxes and send them out.
However, the club’s impact goes beyond that to the community they support, but also to the members that make up the organization.
“I think one of my biggest takeaways from the club is [a] really big sense of community,” said Chen.