Yesterday, South Central AHEC brought an incredible speaker to our community. Robert Hackenson Jr., from Dynamic Influence, shared invaluable insights on pressing issues – teenage vaping and safe social media use.

Not only did Robert engage parents and the community that night, he also took his message directly to our youth. He visited Pinckneyville and DuQuoin high schools, as well as 7th and 8th-grade students from Pinckneyville, 204, and Tamaroa grade schools.

Robert emphasized the significance of responsible social media use and the true value of our time. He highlighted how excessive social media consumption can correlate with mental health issues. For fun, he added in some magic tricks to keep the students engaged.

We sincerely hope that our students walked away from Robert’s sessions with their eyes opened to the seriousness of these topics.

See more photos from the event on the Facebook page of Pinckneyville Community Hospital, which hosts South Central AHEC. The hospital expressed huge thanks to Mr. Hackenson, the participating schools, and a number of local businesses who donated door prizes for such a memorable and impactful event.