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By Divisha Arora, incoming junior at Skyline High School and member of TECH There’s a strange kind of exhaustion that comes from pretending you’re okay all the time.
Not the exhaustion from homework, sports, clubs, or lack of sleep, even though those are real too. I mean the kind that comes from smiling in the hallway while your mind feels heavy. The kind where you answer “I’m good” automatically because explaining the truth feels too complicated. I think a lot of teenagers know this feeling, even if nobody talks about it out loud. By Ardra Arwin - Member of TECH, student at Skyline High School  When people think about sustainability, they often focus on climate change, recycling, or clean energy. Conversations around substance abuse prevention, on the other hand, tend to center on personal health and individual decision-making. However, these two issues are more closely connected than they appear.
At the Issaquah Sustainability Fair 2026, it became clear that sustainability is not only about protecting the environment, but also about shaping the spaces we live in and the behaviors we normalize. The choices individuals make, especially young people, extend beyond personal impact and influence community health and safety. By: Fiona Ton (Student and Member of TECH Youth Coalition)
Authors Note: As a Sophomore at Liberty High School in Renton, WA, I take great pride in sharing my thoughts and voice here at the TECH Youth Coalition in Influence the Choice (Teens Encouraging Community Health). Here at TECH, I am welcomed to a very inclusive and approachable environment filled with many students with views to change the world in terms of mental health and substance use. I am extremely honored here at TECH to be a part of this organization as I get to explore new meaningful opportunities ranging from promoting campaigns to having the chance to talk to Washington legislators about our cause and our ideas. I believe that the topic of alcohol use regarding teens is very important for me because living in a society where people close to me are affected by alcohol concerns me as a teenager myself and a representative to advocate for more awareness. I take this chance to spread my ideas and personal thoughts regarding mental health to give a voice for my community, and I hope to one day to create a healthier future and environment. Being a member and advocate under TECH Youth Coalition will bring me further in sharing my voice. |