By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–Helena Intermediate School students were greeted with loud music, dancing and high fives as they filed into the school cafeteria on Friday, Oct. 2.

The ones greeting them and giving them high fives were the 34 college-aged students who make up the Conquest program who travel to numerous schools to speak with students about making smart choices, peer pressure, substance abuse, bullying and more.

Based on the audience and ages of the students, the Conquest program will adjust the subject matter of what they discuss and the skits they act out.
At HIS, the Conquest students performed a variety of skits depicting different situations, but one of the ones that stood out the most was the skit surrounding a girl who was felling down and lonely because of the words people would say to her.

Multiple posters with the words weak, ugly, fat, stupid, worthless and broken were held up by other actors who simulated throwing the words in the direction of the lonely and depressed girl.

The girl would pretend to fight back and the posters were turned over to reveal the words priceless, strong, beautiful, perfect, intelligent and healed.

The skit received a big applause from both the HIS students, teachers and faculty.

Michelle Dowda, third year intern with Conquest said that getting the opportunity to be a positive influence on students lives is what drew her to participate in the program.

“This is my dream, if I could do this for the rest of my life telling young people to make good decisions and to reach their goals and things like that I would,” said Dowda.

The Conquest program partnered with the Shelby County Drug Free Coalition and the Above The Influence prevention program, which is part of the SCDFC, to hold the assemblies in multiple schools in the county.

Lucas Englebert has been involved with the Conquest program for four years and he likes that they can deliver the message that students can reach their dreams no matter what.

“Teaching kids that they can achieve their dreams and they don’t have to let anything stand in their way is my favorite thing,” said Englebert. “We’re here to tell them that they can be the veterinarian or whatever it is that they want to do as long as you make the right choices.”