(Seguin) — A local group is doing its parts to make sure that schools are safe spaces in the Seguin ISD.
The new Safe in Seguin group started a few months ago during what was a dark period in the Seguin ISD. The district lost three students in a relatively short period of time. One student died in a tragic car accident over the summer, and two other students died by suicide during the fall semester. The community is still reeling from those losses, and one of the things to emerge from that difficult time was Safe in Seguin.
Caitlyn Aguirre and Megan Strickland were part of that initial effort. They initially weren’t sure how they were going to help, but they knew that something needed to be done to offer more mental health support for local students, and they also wanted the Seguin ISD to provide a stronger anti-bullying message across the district. They wanted parents and students to be heard, because too many of them felt like their concerns weren’t being addressed.
Aguirre says Safe in Seguin is now working to be a positive voice for change. She says they want to be a resource for parents and students. They want to make sure that parents and others know that they are not alone in this effort.
“I want people to know that we will hold, whoever we have to, accountable to ensure that going forward that the changes are being made or will be made in the future – are changes that benefit our children. That’s something that we won’t give up on. So, (I want them to) know that they have a resource that they can reach out to, and then know that they have a voice of support that will always speak up for them. We’re not going away. We’re here to stay and help encourage and uplift our community,” said Aguirre.
Strickland says support is a big part of the mission of Safe in Seguin. She says they are doing all that they can to make sure that local schools are safe environments for all students and staff.
“We are here for you. Just let us know (how we can help). We’re right here – not just for parents or just for students. We’re here for you if you need help with anything. (Need) help filling out a grievance, (or) need to vent about an issue at the school? We can, you know, help you work through it, or we can even advocate on your behalf,” said Strickland.
The full conversation with Strickland and Aguirre will be featured on the Saturday Topic. The program airs at 8:15 a.m. Saturday on AM 1580 KWED, and streams live online at seguintoday.com. You can also listen to the livestream of the radio station on any Alexa enabled device — just say “Alexa, play KWED Radio.”