By Thania Rubio –

One issue facing students of PHS and youth around the country is dealing with sexuality. Answering a call to deal with this serious issue is the Teen PEP. Teen PEP stands for Teen Prevention Education Program. This year there are 18 juniors who have been trained in leadership and sexuality issues. With daily training Teen PEP has been able to reach out to many of PHS students and educate them about sexuality issues and safe sex.

Members of Teen PEP “heart” the student body of PHS. Photo by Thania Rubio.

Perhaps the best part of teen PEP is that each member has different values and beliefs about sexuality and therefore there is room for everyone in this organization.

Junior Cat Sposato said, “Teen Pep created bonds between individuals who mostly only knew each other superficially. By sharing experiences, many people finally felt like they were able to understand what each individual was able to bring to the group.

Teen Pep as a whole has given 18 juniors the opportunity to break out of their comfort zone and come together order to educate their freshmen peers on the value of safe sexual practices. Teen Pep makes a huge difference not only in the lives of those directly exposed to it but for the entire community”

Members of PEP have developed skills that allow them to incorporate the many differing ideas about sexuality and the different ideologies that surround sex.

Worried at first about putting all these different students together, advisor Mr. Galan said, “After a few weeks, it became apparent that we were on a path filled with understanding, compassion and learning. As classes passed, workshops were performed and retreats were attended, we became more than a class. We became a family. The compassion and respect that were inculcated exceeded any expectations that any of us could have ever imagined.”

With 18 different people coming from a multitude of various backgrounds, this group might easily spin out of control and not accomplish the important stated mission. However, the two great advisors, Mr. Galan and Mrs. Khalaf, have fostered understanding and respect within this club, making it a model for all other clubs and organizations at PHS.

“Being part of Teen PEP has deeply impacted me as an educator and a leader. The training I received from the Teen PEP teachers and peers have introduced me to an extremely productive way of engaging students in their own learning. The ongoing training, love and support from the Teen PEP family has really helped me become a new person,” said Thania Rubio, a junior.

Advisor Mrs. Khalaf said, “This class has become a refuge, a place of safety and growth. We will have many Teen Pep classes over the next few years but there will never be another Teen Pep class of 2015/16.”

Teen PEP recently attended a three-day retreat. There the club members were able to share laughs and emotions, and create memories that will be remembered forever. Workshops contained reliable information that will allow members to educate themselves and also prepare for the freshmen that depend on the valuable service provided by Teen PEP.