Michael McGowan says as an Educational Consultant, he loves working with young people.
“It’s so delightful to work with young people because they’re so energetic.” said McGowan.
Today McGowan worked with Crandon, Laona and Wabeno students at Crandon high school as a part of their mental health awareness week. Where he taught and presented to the students how to work and talk with other people you may not be familiar with. Skills every teenager will need in the future.
McGowan said “So many kids spend so much time on their phones, distracted from others, earbuds in. So to actually get together and talk to one another and to listen to one another, it’s a little bit old school, but those skills are essential.”
McGowan has been doing these talks at schools around the country, including Crandon, for over 20 years. And says it makes him really happy to see all the kids from different schools and backgrounds come out and communicate together.
7th grade Crandon student, Jaelyn Guinther, said “I think it’s fun to get to know others this way and have different questions that Mike asks that you usually wouldn’t be asked in your normal day to day.”
Another student, Summer Moravec, a 12th grader from Wabeno added “It’s nice to learn about other people and stuff you’re not comfortable with to get us out of our comfort zone.”
“At first they were kind of tentative and shy,” said McGowan. “And when we got them up and moving around, and all the sudden they’re talking to one another and we partner them together, they’re laughing and problem solving together. It’s awesome.”
Guinther and Moravec said they were glad to have McGowan help teach them those skills. And McGowan wishes his school had similar talks when he was a student, saying it would’ve helped him as a kid as well.