Lehighton Area High School students spent Friday morning in sessions on everything from stress management to resume writing, as the school hosted its third annual “Me Today, Me Tomorrow” event.

Gretchen Laviolette, the district’s director of Academic Programs and Technology, organized the event, which ran from approximately 8 to 10:45 a.m. She said student feedback has driven the program since its beginning.

“A great majority of them share that they got something out of at least one of the sessions,” Laviolette said of the students. “Last year, with it being more career focused, some said, ‘I now have a better idea of what I want to do after high school.’”

The event alternates yearly between durable life skills and career-focused programming. This year marked a return to the life skills format.

Laviolette said the idea grew out of her years as a classroom teacher, when she noticed students were not always engaged during traditional assemblies. After moving into administration, she surveyed students on what they actually wanted to learn.

“The responses were really eye opening,” she said. “It was things such as time management, stress management, writing resumes and writing cover letters.”

Presenters came from across the region.

Dawn Benner represented Lehighton Ambulance. Representatives from St. Luke’s Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network spoke on topics including volunteerism and resume writing. Real estate agent Aggie Schoenberger also presented, as did U.S. Air Force and Navy representatives, Lehighton Superintendent Jason Moser and members of the high school faculty.

“We don’t turn anybody away,” Laviolette said. “Between word-of-mouth and whoever reaches out to us, we have a wide variety of where presenters come from.”

One session drew particular attention.

Presenter Larissa Kimmel, of Carbon Monroe Pike Mental Health and Developmental Services, spoke on how trauma affects a person’s life, a topic Laviolette said has grown more relevant in recent years.

“We’re finding more and more that we have students who have experienced trauma than what I remember in the beginning stages of my career,” she said.

Amy Seng DeLong of Lehigh Valley Health Network/Jefferson Health led sessions on time management and stress management. She said the skills she shared extend well beyond the classroom.

“If you learn them earlier on in your life, it just gets better,” Seng DeLong said. “If they don’t identify their stress outlets or how to manage time now, it’s going to cause more stress in their life growing up.”

She told students that asking for help is one of the most important tools available to them.

“It’s OK to be stressed, it’s OK to fail and it’s OK to learn from mistakes,” Seng DeLong said. “People don’t ask for help and they feel alone. There are people who are going to be there for your support — you just have to find them.”

After Friday’s third and final session, Laviolette sent a survey to students asking them to rate the presentations and offer recommendations for future events.

She said the event would not be possible without cooperation across the school community.

“It truly is a team effort,” Laviolette said. “The teachers recognize the importance of bringing events like this, and I appreciate the administration and counselors providing me this opportunity.”