Cuero, TX | September 17, 2025 — The Pilot Club of Cuero is making waves—and making a difference—in the lives of young people across DeWitt County. In a bold and compassionate move, the club recently partnered with Cuero ISD to host a community-wide mental health awareness event that brought national speakers, local counselors, and hundreds of students together under one powerful message: STOP. TALK. OVERCOME. PAIN.
The event was the vision of Projects Coordinator Laura Carnes, whose commitment to mental health advocacy inspired the club to bring the nationally recognized STOP Global program to Cuero. Working alongside fellow coordinator Pam Lester, Carnes helped organize a multi-site experience that included a public gathering at Gobbler Stadium and a high-impact presentation at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) for junior high and high school students.
The event featured speakers Brenda, Jonah, and Austin—each sharing personal stories of resilience, recovery, and the power of speaking up. Austin’s electrifying presence at the PAC left a lasting impression, with students and staff describing the energy as “unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.”
Mental health professionals were also on hand to remind students that trained counselors are available at every Cuero ISD campus. The goal: to ensure that no student walks through hard times without support.
The Pilot Club of Cuero has long championed awareness around traumatic brain injuries and brain-related disorders. But with mental health challenges rising among youth, the club felt a deeper calling to expand its mission.
“So many of us have been affected—whether personally or through someone we love,” said Lester. “It’s time to break the silence, shatter the stigma, and create safe spaces for healing.”
The STOP Global initiative aligns with the club’s broader goals of education, advocacy, and community resilience. By bringing this event to Cuero, the Pilot Club has not only sparked important conversations—it’s planted seeds of hope.
Organizers say this is just the beginning. Plans are underway to continue mental health programming throughout the school year, with additional partnerships and student-led initiatives in development.
For now, the message is clear: Cuero is listening. Cuero is healing. And Cuero is ready to talk.