IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Mary Story, my academic advisor, for her endless support, guidance, and encouragement. She made my doctoral journey a truly rewarding experience, being a constant source of inspiration with her commitment to scholarship, knowledge, and wisdom. I feel really fortunate to have her as a mentor. I would also like to thank Dr. Marti Kubik for giving me the opportunity to work in the Team COOL pilot study and for her tireless guidance throughout my academic development. I was inspired by her passion for the project. I also want to thank Dr. Jayne Fulkerson and Peter Hannan for their willingness and enthusiasm to share their expertise in the area of statistical analysis and programming. I truly appreciate their words of encouragement and support. I am also grateful for the guidance and support I received from Dr. Jamie Stang and Dr. Marla Reicks. I am truly thankful for the students and staff of the alternative high schools who participated in the study. I am delighted to have met every one of them and have learned so much from their lives