PARENTS, PEERS WERE KEY FOR TEEN

'Why I Won't Do Drugs'

Shannon Hamel knows how to stay out of trouble.

"I cheered all through high school, so I was too busy to get into trouble,"
says the 18-year-old. She graduated from D'Iberville High in the spring and
now is a freshman at the Jeff Davis Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast
Community College.

Hamel describes herself as being "really self-conscious," but this young
woman was poised enough to be selected as a DARE role model her senior year
of high school.

"We went to elementary schools and spoke to the students about drugs and
alcohol," she says, "and after that, (Harrison County Sheriff's Department)
Officer Shannon Nobles invited me to take part in the Red Ribbon Task Force."

Hamel stays busy with school and work, but in her free time, she "hangs
out" with friends, including her boyfriend, who she says has had a lot to
do with her not getting involved with drugs and alcohol.

"He got me into church and supports me and helps keep me on the right path."

Then, switching course dramatically, she adds, "I also love to play with my
dog, Daisy."

Hamel's mom, Maureen, jokingly says, "I only wish she loved her little
brother as much as she does the dog. He just worships her, and she is the
best role model for him.

"He just entered middle school, and I am so glad she is still living at
home. She helps him with his homework and has tried to make his transition
into a new school easier."

Hamel thinks of herself as a people person, and she believes it's been to
her advantage that she has surrounded herself with good friends.

"Also, I've learned a lot from my peers at church, and my parents (Maureen
and Raymond Hamel) are excellent role models," she says.