Students at one county high school got the chance Thursday to plan for a better future in more ways than one.
On Thursday, Happy Valley High School hosted its annual health and career fair. The event is sponsored each year by students in the school’s Teens Raising Understanding Starting Today (TRUST) Club.
The fair features a information and education on a variety of health topics —like proper nutrition and the dangers of smoking —as well as representatives from a variety of colleges and careers.
TRUST President Hannah Smith said the event originally began about five years ago strictly as a health fair but it has evolved over time. Adding information about colleges and career choices helps to meet other needs of the students besides just providing them information on how to live healthier lives, Smith said.
“Last year we had the colleges and I really liked that,” she said.
At last year’s event, Smith said she had not really begun her college search but the fair changed that.
“It helped influence me to go to Milligan,” she said.
The idea behind including careers and higher education is to help the students make better progress for their future, Smith said.
The health portion of the fair typically has a theme, and this year that focus was on smoking and vaping, Smith said.
“We’ve been talking about vaping a lot because that is a big thing,” she said. “It turns out it’s not as healthy as everyone thinks.”
Students with East Tennessee State University’s College of Medicine and College of Nursing were on hand to speak with students on a variety of health issues, including the effects of bad behaviors such as smoking on the body. The ETSU students brought a display of preserved organs to show the HVHS students.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol was on hand with a special vehicle that simulates what can happen in a car crash if the driver is not wearing their seat belt. The THP Troopers also brought along the ever-popular “drunk goggles” for the students to try on and attempt to perform a field sobriety test.
Also on hand for the event were representatives from the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, Elizabethton Police Department, Carter County School Coordinated Health Program, Tennessee Army National Guard, Carter County Health Department, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Northeast State Community College, Milligan College, Change Is Possible (CHIPS) Domestic Violence Shelter and BlueCare Tennessee.