AIM High

Advocacy, Inspiration & Mentorship

AIM High Overview

AIM High is a 7-week leadership program by The Noble Path Foundation. The AIM acronym stands for ADVOCACY, INSPIRATION and MENTORSHIP, and by pairing groups of teens with different leaders and advocates in our community each week, we encourage meaningful dialogues and thought-provoking conversations in order to inspire these types of mentoring relationships. Past speakers (and topics) have included the Wellness and Prevention Center (Self-Esteem and Social Media), Laura’s House (Teen Dating and Healthy Relationships), Waymakers and San Clemente Rotary (Leadership and Development), OC Sheriff’s Department (Trending Drug Cultures), The Noble Path Foundation (Nutrition and Body Image) and Partners4Wellness (Stress and Coping Skills).

In conjunction with the presentations are fun social activities the participants can enjoy and are encouraged to attend during the week to foster peer relationships: free yoga, music lessons and meditation practice on Wellness Wednesdays, or TGIF Friday events like karaoke, ping pong tournaments, gaming, or movie nights. The series concludes with a certification ceremony to share with family and city officials, plenty of food and drink, and the joy of celebrating lessons learned and friendships formed. The success of the program lies in the fact that many of the AIM High graduates return to volunteer and help mentor the next generation.

Sponsors & Partners

AIM High Team

Teri Steel is the Executive Director for AIM High, a Noble Path Foundation program of Advocacy, Inspiration and Mentorship. AIM High pairs leaders in our community with young teens in a 7-week wellness series that engages students in meaningful discussions with leading advocates in their respective fields, inspiring creativity and hopefully motivating them via mentorship to pursue their highest potential. Prior to joining The Noble Path Foundation, Teri has organized multiple philanthropic endeavors and received several achievement awards for developing programs that benefit children and their families. The Wellness & Prevention Center awarded her a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her efforts to prevent youth substance abuse and promote healthy lifestyle choices in San Clemente. Teri’s goal has always been to work with nonprofits to encourage community involvement and youth leadership. She helped create a prevention and recovery program called Thrive Alive, which offered a positive solution for young people battling the throes of drug use and addiction. AIM High will expand on that program, adding nutrition and fitness to form a complete mind/body/soul continuum that will focus on health, wellness and prevention via education, awareness and fun social activities. Teri and her husband Rob moved to San Clemente in 1990. Their three sons, Robb, Ryan and Ryley attended SCHS and took part in many extracurricular indoor/outdoor activities. She has encouraged giving back to their community through Relay for Life, Boy Scouts, COA and The Noble Path Foundation, among many others. For recreation and relaxation, she enjoys wave running, hiking, music, movies and gathering with family and friends

Tiffany McCafferty has worked in health education in Orange County for 15 years at the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence – Orange County, now Partners 4 Wellness. Throughout her career, she has focused mainly on youth prevention and education with substance use and positive youth development. Working with youth and parents within these great communities has been such a wonderful experience and taught her so much about the great things that can happen when people work together. Tiffany has had the pleasure of working with the AIM High Program, formerly Thrive Alive, over the last six years as a speaker for both youth and their parents as well as a volunteer for many youth activities.

Jennifer Aquino is a mother of 4 who is passionate about keeping kids active and doing things that inspire and motivate them to keep moving. She has a background in Branding and Website Development and runs her business as well as helps run her husband’s Mobile Detailing Business. Her eldest son attends college, her teen boys attend SCHS, and she has a daughter in elementary school. Her motto, “Just Keep Moving”, applies in all areas of her life and she tries to help others do the same.

Jennifer became interested in volunteering when her kids started doing youth activities with Community Outreach Alliance (COA). She saw the impact it had on all the young teens involved and she knew there was a need for other kids to learn more about what the program offers. Since then she has continued to help organize many youth activities by volunteering for AYSO soccer, Church Youth Bible Study/ Small Groups, and continuing her work for COA as a board member. When The Noble Path Foundation acquired COA’s Thrive Alive series and rebranded as AIM High, Jennifer joined the team as the Program Community Youth Liason.

Luke Giannelli started his path to becoming a program manager while he was in junior high. He was an assistant to the director at an afterschool program, overseeing groups of up to twenty adolescents. His natural leadership was noticeable. By 2017, Luke was promoted to program manager for several weekly activities: group guitar and improv lessons, OC Mental Health collaboration ‘Project Pandemic Override’, and several community festivals.

Luke Giannelli’s passion for creating fun and exciting activities influences youth participation. The Noble Path Foundation programs AIM High, TGIF, and the SCHS NPF Club are a few programs he oversees.

Luke is a San Clemente native and strives to keep his hometown healthy. He is active in the growing Orange County music scene. He also hosts a podcast for musicians to showcase their talent while donating to environmentally friendly non-profits.

Testimonials

“This program has been so valuable for my boys and family. They learned about so many health topics and even still carry many of the things they learned from this program with them today. The information that was given was relevant, professional and engaging. My boys enjoyed going to the program and it has impacted them positively socially and mentally. We are so grateful to have been introduced to the program.”

“We had two of our teens go through this program. They loved it so much, they chose to do it again! As we see our teens grow and change, we notice the difference in their decision making. It certainly gives us parents much more PEACE OF MIND when our child can say, “No” to the negative temptations that are influenced upon them during such a vulnerable time in their lives. It is SO crucial that not only teens get wise about poor lifestyle choices, but also for parents to put them on a path of many healthy lifestyle choices. These two things go hand-in-hand…And AIM High is the pathway! So, “Get with the program” Parent Peeps. AIM Higher for your children!”

"This program has illustrated the importance of rejecting negative temptations that may be pressuring teens, and effectively demonstrates ways for students to help their peers to do the same."

“Two of our teens participated in these wonderful programs. This is exactly what kids want and need- fun, free, and adventuresome activities and education to keep them busy and social. We are forever grateful to COA/TNPF that our kids feel safe to explore who they are without the pressures of substance use so they grow with vitality and self assurance!”