Blog | BriteYouth

THE BRITE BLOG

We share the voices, opinions and stories of many Ventura County youth and young adults here. Not all posts reflect the opinion of BRITE or our sponsors. Managed by Ashley Heatherly.

Behind the Reality Party: A Reality Check on Teen Substance Use

A college student discusses her experience attending a Reality Party for Parents event, the importance of communication, and the need to change the normalization of party culture.

Gracie

Nov 172 min read

We see the perspective of standing in a dark tunnel, with railroad tracks extending to the horizon. At the end of the tunnel is a visible arch with two people standing in it, walking on what appears to be white snow. There is a light emanating from the entrance of the tunnel giving a sense of hope and forward momentum.

Benadryl

A poem written by a college student about her experience witnessing an ex-boyfriend overdose, and how there is always a light at the end of the tunnel even when things feel hopeless.

Anonymous

Oct 242 min read

Water’s Face

Writing and painting by Sierra Watson. I wonder how calm water feels; All gathered as I looked upon its face. I’m sure it wonders if...

Sierra Watson

Sep 82 min read

A young person is laying on a bed and their face is covered with post-its that say things like, "You got this," "Grind," "Hustle," "Team no sleep," etc. The backdrop of the bed is also covered in post-it notes but they are out of focus. We get a feeling of overwhelm.

Overwhelmed

A poem written by a high school student about feeling overwhelmed with tasks and the weight of planning for the future while not being able to stop and enjoy the present moment.

Jason Gray

Jun 191 min read

We see a close up photo of the page of a book. The word "Leadership" is being highlighted in bright pink ink.

Leadership vs. Power

A high school student discusses the difference between good leadership and just exercising power over others.

Jason Gray

Jun 181 min read

We see a line of dark chocolate chocolate chip cookies across the top of the image with a green cannabis leaf against a pink background. The text reads, "Everyone’s tolerance for weed is diﬀerent. Every form of consuming weed will aﬀect you diﬀerently. It’s a trial and error process, and no one talks about the errors."

“It’s No Big Deal:” My Personal Experience with Cannabis

A college student discusses her experience with cannabis, how it affected her mental health, and why using cannabis might actually be a big deal for some people.