DARING TO LEAD

COLUMBUS - Kaitlin Roh knows Columbus and the high school she attends
have a stigma when it comes to drinking.

"I know Scotus has been labeled for drinking," she said. "But, I don't
think it's a fair label. I know some people drink, but not everyone
drinks."

Roh, who is a freshman at Scotus Central Catholic, is one of those
students who choose to abstain, and she hopes more will follow her as
they learn more about what alcohol and other drugs can do to them.

For Roh, the lessons came as part of the D.A.R.E-Drug Abuse Resistance
Education - program offered in fifth grade at St. Anthony Elementary
School, and later as an eighth-grader at Scotus.

Unless students attend one of the area's parochial schools, the
D.A.R.E. program isn't available to children in Columbus.

"I'm not thrilled about that," Roh said.

The Scotus freshman has plans of changing that, thanks to her
involvement on the national D.A.R.E. Youth Advisory Board.

Roh, the daughter of John and Angela Roh of Columbus, was selected as
Nebraska's representative to the board earlier this year after being
nominated by Columbus Police Officer Gilbert Maschmeier.

"I thought it was cool," Roh said of being selected. "This is a great
chance for me to work with other kids my age also involved with D.A.R.E."

Roh's current term on the board will be for two years, but she hopes
to continue it until her senior year.

As a member of the board, Roh will attend a national conference each
year and participate in conference calls once a month. This year's
conference was in Washington, D.C.

"The conference was a neat experience," she said.

The event included brainstorming sessions and information on programs
that can be offered to elementary school students.

It was also a good way to pick up new ideas. Roh already has plans for
what she can do in Columbus to get the messages of D.A.R.E. across.
She said she wants to begin one of the programs she learned.

"I'm hoping to start a Peer Plus program in the spring," she
said.

Peer Plus would be held after school and could include many different
activities, such as team building, speakers and field trips.

Roh said just how the program is set up will be determined after she
meets with principals at each school. She said she will start
organizing the program in the private schools, but her goal is to
offer it to all Columbus elementary schools, both public and private.

"I want to offer a place where kids can go to have fun and learn so
they don't resort to taking drugs," she said.

She also hopes to get other kids her age involved.

"One of my ideas is to have an activity day where kids from the
different schools can talk about their program," Roh said.

In addition to offering the Peer Plus program, Roh has a much larger
goal.

"I'm hoping to get the D.A.R.E. program back in every school by my
senior year," she said. "I think it is important to have it back in
the public schools."

Roh said her dedication to the D.A.R.E. program and others that
promote a drug-free lifestyle not only comes because she wants to get
rid of the stigma surrounding her school and hometown, but also
because of recent incidents involving teenagers.

"Just knowing about all the people who have been killed because of
drinking and driving makes me want to get the messages across," she
said.

She also wants kids to know that even though people say it's cool,
drinking is not.

"I want kids to think it is cool not to drink," she
said.

Roh said if she can get a lot of kids involved in her programs, she
believes she can get that message across.

"Kids who want to stay drug free should surround themselves with
people who are drug free," she said. "There is power in numbers when
it comes to fighting peer pressure."