My Health Story: Asahni Eichelberger

Asahni Eichelberger
Saginaw School-Based Heath Center

Our School-Based Health Center is important to me because it is very resourceful. If you have any type of ailment throughout the school day, all you have to do is walk down the hall and go to the Health Center. It saves a lot of time as well as money. Instead of you having to call your parents and wait for them to come get you, the Health Center is always available. It saves a lot on medical bills; a lot of peoples’ insurance companies cover most, if not all, of their bills.

One of the main challenges the SBHC has helped me to overcome is my leadership skills. The SBHC sponsors a student-led organization called The Teen Advisory Council (TAC). The TAC does a lot around the school and for the community. I am a member of the executive board of this organization. We run meetings, plan events, do a lot of public speaking, and are introduced to a multitude of different things that the average high school student doesn’t get to experience. In doing this, you add many different things into your skill set. These things, among others, can include responsibility, determination, leadership, respect, and discipline.

The School-Based Health Center has made me into a very successful student. While with the TAC, I have taken part in many different opportunities. These opportunities that I have taken advantage of have seriously changed my life. I never thought I would have done the things I’ve done so far in my life. It has also given me something useful to put on my resume. The skill set that I have now is a product of being part of the TAC. I would strongly advise any high school student to join; it is only beneficial to you and your life.

About the My Health Story Contest

School-Based Health Care Awareness Month is the time each year that we pause to celebrate the value of school-based, school-linked and school wellness programs. This year, we asked youth across Michigan to tell us how a School-Based or School-linked Health Center has improved their health and helped them to succeed in school. Contestants wereasked to submit an essay about their experiences with a Health Center. Stories will be posted daily on our website beginning in February during Awareness Month to the end of April when we host advocacy day. You can see all the contest entries here.