Patch Whiz Kids of the Week: Sarah, 16, and Susan, 14, Hassan

School: Somerville High School

Accomplishment: The sisters, who seem to do a lot together, have shown strong initiative at a city-sponsored, after-school program at Somerville Community Access Television that has taught students to make videos with an anti-drug use message. 

How they did it: The girls joined Somerville Positive Forces, a city coalition that discourages underage drinking and drug use, to spread the values that they learned at home. Sarah said that their parents always stressed that taking drugs or drinking alcohol was wrong, and that she and her sister wanted to bring that message to the community, in a positive way. 

“I like to spread awareness about issues that teens in Somerville face,” Sarah said. “From my upbringing, I know that just to work with an organization that deals with these issues is really good.”

The after-school program has taught the girls how to make public service announcements that promote friendship and healthy activities as alternatives to substance abuse.   

Their teacher, Gordon Nelson, said that from the start, the girls worked enthusiastically and diligently on the videos, which will be shown at a youth film festival at the Somerville Theater, later this school year. 

Besides doing the program together, both girls are members of the community service and ultimate Frisbee clubs. 

“We’re into a lot of the same things,” Sarah said. “We don’t plan it, it just works out that way.”