TEAM ROSTER

Sarah Lyon

Hello, my name is Sarah and I am a junior at Newtown High School.

I created this project because an immediate family member of mine struggled with self-harm for years, and because of this personal connection I know how this issue can impact every aspect of someone’s life, whether a victim or a loved one. I regret every day not being educated enough to know the signs and warnings of self-injury. I founded this program so that every person is at least capable of identifying self-injury, and everyone is capable of saving a life. I was amazed when self-injury became my whole world, yet how oblivious so many of my friends, classmates and teachers were to this global issue. With this program, we can educate, inspire and save millions of lives. I truly believe in this team and in project S.O.S.

Natalie Poeltl

Hi, I am Natalie Poeltl and I am a senior at Newtown High School.

I never truly understood self harm until I saw what it can do to some people. A very close friend of mine was abandoned by his parents and left in this country without citizenship and only $25.00 in his pocket. He couldn’t afford a college education, couldn’t get a license to drive to a job, and not many people would hire an illegal immigrant. The young boy began using self harm to cope with his situation, cutting, using drugs, and even bruising himself. I did not know what to say or how to help, because all he had to say was, “What is the point of living anymore?” Having a close friend, so close to death and so badly suffering, tell me this and for me to have no response was the most painful thing I have ever dealt with. This project gives me and many others hope. Hope for strength, hope for regainment of positivity, and hope for a better, happier, healthier life.

Dayna Briante

Hi, I’m Dayna Briante! I am a senior at Newtown High School.

I believe that project SOS (Save Our Selves) has the potential to impact the lives of many. There are so many people who suffer on an everyday basis and try to continue on without seeking help. Resorting to self harm should never be something that anyone has to go through.Therefore, I want this project to eliminate those internal fears, and allow for people who self harm to feel more confident in who they are as a person. Anyone who self harms deserves support and encouragement throughout their healing process. It is my hope that project SOS will allow for my team to educate people about self harm, provide support to those who truly need it, and lead people toward a path of happiness, healthiness, and success.

Katie Davin

Hello, I am Katie Davin and I am a senior at Newtown High School.

This project holds value to me because I believe that self-injury is a large and tragic problem in today’s society, and it doesn’t have to be. I believe that with a little hope and teamwork, we can make a change and go to the lengths necessary to help those affected. Save Ourselves is a group dedicated to make this difference in our society. We’re putting time into this project because we truly care about this cause and we have faith that those suffering can be saved. I also think that with the right prevention measures taken, we can significantly reduce this problem both locally and globally. Everywhere, people are hurting and we have the opportunity to help relieve this pain.

Alisha Aggarwal

Hello, I'm Alisha Aggarwal and I am a junior at Newtown High School.

Self-injury was once an obscure psychiatric symptom. A majority of therapists didn't ever believe they would be treating patients who engaged in such behaviors. The escalation of these behaviors has been so rapid that hospital, criminal justice, mental health, and school professionals have been caught off guard without the appropriate resource. We, the Save Our Selves (S.O.S.) team, strive to be this resource. It is our goal to be the face of a supportive friend, a comforting counselor, a well-read expert, and most importantly, a helping hand to pull those suffering from self-injury into a world of positivity. We want to educate those who are associated with victims of this addiction, while eliminating stigmas around those who are associated with these actions and habits. I support this cause because the prevalence of this condition was unknown to me until I, along with my classmates watched the Say Something Beautiful assembly at our school. It was powerful to watch how numerous peers of mine could be encouraged by a single woman to have the courage to speak up about their difficulties with self injury. I was moved by the positive energy that our school could provide them with, and how such a burden on their shoulders could be lightened with support from people like us; people like me. Inspiration bubbling in the back burner, I knew, once the opportunity arose to take action on this issue, I wholeheartedly would. The proposal of the S.O.S. organization ensured my passion with helping out. I hope to work towards the success our project, and know we will touch and bring positivity many lives.

Jackie Sgobbo

Hi, I am Jackie Sgobbo and I am a junior at Newtown High School.

Being a part of this project has opened my eyes to a new world of health I had very little knowledge of prior. Self harm is one of the most dangerous actions a person can hold upon oneself and very few people in this world know about this issue. This project holds a special place in my heart because I have learned how harmful self harm really is and now I have the opportunity to change someones life for the better. Through this project, I believe that we have the motivation and determination to educate those on the negative effects on self harm and save the lives of those who have lost hope in themselves.

Casey Demers

Hi, I’m Casey Demers and I am a senior at Newtown High School.

This project is very important to me because too many people feel trapped and without options and turn to self-harm instead of to a friend or organization. I believe that Project SOS has the ability to spread awareness about self-injury and make a difference in how people view themselves and people who self-harm.My goal is to impact the life of at least one person who may be scared or lonely and help them understand that there is always another option. Through this project, I also hope to positively change the impact social media has on self-harm, by creating encouraging and uplifting accounts to replace the ones that damage and depress. Project SOS gives me hope that someday there will be enough options and resources that no one will have to turn to self-harm.

Kristina Tollkuci

Hello, I am Kristina Tollkuci and I am a senior at Newtown High School.

I believe that every person should have the right contacts and support to help themselves in situations involving self harm. By creating a project focused on this growing epidemic, I hope that the public will see how important of a topic self harm is, and that it will help those who are struggling get the help that they need. I truly believe with this project that we can make this world better with one step at a time, and Project SOS is the first step, as it will give people hope. We are all struggling in our lives, but so many people need to understand there are other ways to cope with it besides harming one’s self. Project SOS gives us a chance to make a difference in someone’s life and the chance to save someone’s life.

Shaina Koren

Hi! I'm Shaina Koren, and I am a senior at Newtown High School.

I believe in the NHS SOS project because I feel that no one should have to go through this alone. Before starting, I knew little to nothing about self harm and the challenges and struggles that come with it. However, while working on NHS SOS, I have learned so much valuable information and I now feel that I can help someone in need. I also feel that self harm could be easily prevented by educating those who do not fully know the damaging effects of self harm. I hope this project will educate those that have little knowledge about this topic, and hopefully give others the courage to get help.

Sean McCafferty

Hi I'm Sean McCafferty and I'm a senior at Newtown High School.

Being apart of this group and project really has made me see the need for self injury awareness. Its scary seeing how many people are really self harming themselves and the quicker there is an end to it, the better.

Megan Schloff

Hi, I’m Megan Schloff. I’m a senior at Newtown High School.

I believe this project has the potential to inspire many people. Self harm is something that so many people struggle with on a daily basis. If this project helps even one person then it will be worth our time and effort.

Dave Kent

Hi I'm Dave Kent and I'm a senior at Newtown High School.

I am a vol. Fire fighter and to be apart of this project is one of a kind, as we are able to help people and create awareness for this worthy cause. It is important that everyone is able to help/reach out to people in need. We are the world and we must help it. This project has changed the way I act in the civilian world and on the fireground, when it comes to crisis intervention calls. I was able to take what I have learned/studied and use it to help people. This project is very important and can save many lives. There needs to be a global awareness, and with the right help, there can be change. I support self harm awarness.