(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

It wasn’t a Valentine event, but love was the theme that wound through the first three stories told tonight at the Chief Sealth International High School Young Storytellers Project event at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, from “On Forever’s Toes,” a relationship story told by the first student performer, poet/musician Lashaunycee (above), to professional storyteller Danielle K.L. Grégoire, who told of her first lost love (age 10) …

… to Native American storyteller Roger Fernandes, who told the story of a young man coming of age, passing a test by saving those he loved, even while breaking the rules:

Fernandes also counseled the young storytellers not to be nervous, saying they are just the messenger, and their story is the message. The event was emceed by Sealth teacher Paul Fischburg:

A unique component of the teacher-organized event, which began with a potluck and mingling, was the request for the audience to write messages of support for each storyteller afterward, including a comment on how they connected with the story.