Every time I see social worker Jane Larson in the hallway she asks me two questions, “how are you doing,” and “how’s vaping going.” After four years of daily use, and countless failed attempts at quitting vaping, I felt hopeless.

Then I learned about Larsons’s NOT (Not On Tobacco) program. She immediately made me feel welcome and comfortable. We met weekly and she would just talk to me and help me with whatever I needed. She is one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met. 

Larson always knew that she wanted to help people through her work, and social work checked those boxes for her. 

“I believe in the capacity of somebody in this line of work to be able to intervene with young people and get supports put in place early, then maybe we could avoid folks having trouble in their lives later down the road,” Larson said. 

Her work here began around 20 years ago through an outside company, but she was finally hired full-time six years ago. Since then, she hasn’t stopped working hard. She will never turn anyone away and is always willing to go out of her way to get students the help they need. Whether it’s for vaping, drug use, or mental health help, she’s ready to meet with you as much as you need. 

“There’s people who quit, and there’s people that don’t make it to a full quit, but they really reduced a lot. They know they can come back if they’re still struggling and still wanting to quit” Larson said. 

Her work has not gone unnoticed by other staff in the building. Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) coordinator Mark Johnson has seen plenty of positive impacts since her groups began.

“I wish that we could have more people like Jane in our schools and our building because she does so much to help and support students and staff, that we could probably use two or three social workers to fulfill the needs that we have in our building,” Johnson said. 

I think one of the best parts about her program is how she never makes you feel like you’re in trouble or being lectured to, she makes it an open judgment-free conversation. I am incredibly grateful to her, and we are so lucky to have her at our school.