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Northumberland students ask board to fund Beta Club trip to nationals; peer speech urges adult attention to teen mental health
Summary
Middle- and high-school students showcased state competition awards, requested funding to attend Nationals in Nashville, and a student speaker urged adults to 'check in on your teen' and highlighted 988 as a mental-health resource.
Students from Northumberland Middle and High Schools presented awards and asked the board to support travel to the National Beta Club convention.
Silus Johnson, Jayce Freeman, Akin Whitman and others described hours spent after school preparing projects and a short film, asked the board to consider helping with travel, food and lodging costs, and said the teams are running fundraisers but still need assistance to cover expenses to Nashville.
In a separate student presentation, Julia Wiggins — identified as a second-place speech winner — spoke on teen mental health, urging adults to be attentive: "If you are a teen who is struggling, you aren't alone," she said, and encouraged families to use resources such as the 988 hotline. Wiggins emphasized that bullying and social media can be contributing factors and asked adults to show compassion and offer counseling resources.
Board members praised the students' work and indicated they will consider funding requests in upcoming budget deliberations.
What’s next: Staff said they will present funding options to the board for consideration; students will continue fundraising efforts for the national trip.
