YAHL: The Program That Changed Everything for Me by Tessa S.

My name is Tessa, and I am a junior at Marlow High School. I have been in Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) for three years. It’s been an amazing journey, and I’ve even had the chance to serve on the leadership team for two of those years. Thinking back to when I first attended training three years ago, I was excited to get out of class and have some fun. Now, I see how much that day has changed, impacted, and affected me.

YAHL is a youth-led health organization focused on changing policies to improve schools and communities. When I first heard that, I thought it sounded cool but also a little intimidating. One of my first opportunities was hosting an Elevate Student Health event at my school’s homecoming. To be honest, I was nervous. I had to set up a table, collect surveys and talk to classmates about wellness policies—policies most people don’t even think about! However, I spent time educating my classmates about comprehensive school wellness policies. At events, we collect surveys to bring to key decision-makers to show what the people in our community want. Once I started explaining how our school’s wellness policy wasn’t really comprehensive–my classmates got interested.

My first event went great. I’ve hosted many others since then, and each one has shown me something new about myself and my community. Through these events, I’ve found something I’m truly passionate about: advocating for healthier schools and making sure students’ voices are heard. It’s not just about policies—it’s about making real changes that can impact lives, including mine and my friends’.

One of the best parts of YAHL has been the connections I’ve made. Through YAHL, I met one of my best friends, Kaylee Davis, while we hosted events together. Over the past two years, I’ve met so many incredible people who share the same drive to make a difference. Being around other teens who are just as passionate about health advocacy is inspiring. It reminds me that we’re not alone in this—we’re part of something much bigger.

My biggest achievement through YAHL is awakening a need to make a difference and be the change that needs to happen. I would not be the person I am today if I had not joined YAHL. I am so grateful for YAHL and TSET for funding it.

YAHL: The Program That Changed Everything for Me by Tessa S.

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone with YAHL by Kaston H.

Hi, I’m Kaston from Piedmont, Oklahoma. I joined YAHL because a friend recommended it, and now I’m interested in the ways YAHL works to improve health in Oklahoma. YAHL focuses on helping young people break unhealthy habits and make lasting changes. As a member, I’ve made new friends and gained the chance to contribute to […]

Making an Impact with YAHL by Addison Null-Kelly

My passion for YAHL first started at the Leadership Summit in 2023. I was very nervous to be away from anyone I knew but quickly made close friendships that still follow me. Participating in activities around the city and being split into different groups each day forced me to make new friends, which helped with my social anxiety. I really enjoyed going to sessions and learning what YAHL was all about and why all of my peers were as passionate as I am.

Teens Making a Difference with YAHL by Mia Vizueth

I’m Mia Vizueth, and I’m a junior at Stilwell High School. For the past two years, I’ve been part of an amazing program called YAHL, which stands for Youth Action for Health Leadership. YAHL brings together students from all over Oklahoma who are just as fired up about making a difference as I am. It’s […]

How YAHL Shaped My High School Experience by Katherine Jones

Hi, my name is Katherine Jones, and I’m a senior at Westville High School. For the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of being part of Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL), and this year marks my third on the Leadership Team. YAHL has been an experience that has shaped not just my high […]

Changing My School in Oktaha for the Better by Olivia Shackelford

My name is Olivia, but everyone calls me Livy. I’m from Oktaha, Oklahoma. If you don’t know where that is, it’s near Muskogee. I’m a member of YAHL (Youth Action for Health Leadership) and am honored to be on the leadership team. I feel really lucky to have such a great youth field organizer, Hannah […]

Empowering Future Leaders: My Journey with Youth Action for Health Leadership by My Nguyen

My name is My, and I am a member of the YAHL Leadership Team. I aim to promote the power of leadership among current YAHL members and future YAHL Leadership Team members. YAHL, which stands for Youth Action for Health Leadership, is a youth-led organization dedicated to enhancing youth health through campaigns such as CounterAct […]

Making a Difference: My Journey with YAHL and Health Advocacy in High School

by Brayden Duncan Hey, everyone! I’m Brayden Duncan, and I’m about to start my Junior year at Howe High School. I’ve been involved in YAHL (Youth Action for Health Leadership) for about a year now, and it’s been awesome. YAHL has two campaigns: CounterAct Tobacco and Elevate Student Health. Let’s dive into what CounterAct Tobacco […]

Making My Community Better Through YAHL by Aaliyah Larson

My name is Aaliyah Larson, and I’m currently a sophomore attending Stilwell High School. I joined YAHL in 2022, marking my first year on the YAHL Leadership Team. Being on the Leadership Team has provided an invaluable opportunity, enabling me to make new connections, practice my public speaking skills and make positive changes within my […]

Advocating for Health: My YAHL Journey by Frankie Linker

My name is Frankie. I’m 16 years old and getting ready for my junior year of high school. I wanted to share my experience with an amazing program called Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL). When I first learned about YAHL, I was intrigued. It offered a chance to truly make a difference in my […]

Empowering Change: My Journey with Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) by Lacey Laymon

I am Lacey Laymon, a senior at Keys High School, and I have been a member of Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) for two years. Currently, I serve on the state leadership team. YAHL actively engages in two youth-led campaigns: Elevate Student Health, which focuses on maintaining the health of our schools, and CounterAct […]

Making a Change in My Community by Kaydence Townsend

My name is Kaydence, and I attend Purcell High School. I first heard about Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) from Aisha – one of the YAHL staff – in my class during school. To become a member of YAHL, I had to go to the training for YAHL members in the fall where we […]

Gaining Confidence as a Member of Youth Action for Health Leadership by Miguel Ramirez

My name is Miguel, and I am a junior at Howe Public Schools and a member of Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL). I have worked with other YAHL members on different campaign opportunities. I started getting involved in YAHL by going to the YAHL training at my school in the fall. At the training […]

My Voice Matters in YAHL by Mayra Amezcua

My name is Mayra Amezcua, and I am a junior at Howe Public Schools. YAHL stands for YouthAction for Health Leadership. YAHL has two campaigns – CounterAct Tobacco and ElevateStudent Health. CounterAct Tobacco is trying to reduce underage tobacco use while ElevateStudent Health is trying to increase access to healthy food and drinks and physical […]

Showing my School the Dangers of Teen Tobacco Use with YAHL

My name is Brayden Duncan, and I’m going to be a junior at Howe High School. I have been in YAHL for about a year. YAHL has two campaigns named Counteract Tobacco and Elevate Student Health. My first YAHL event was our fall festival, where we were able to collect a lot of surveys for […]

How YAHL’s Campaigns Showed Me a New Perspective on Oklahoma Health Disparities

My name is Carina Chen. I am a junior at Classen SAS @NE High School and a member of the leadership team at Youth Action for Health and Leadership (YAHL). I first heard about YAHL in my biomedical class from my Youth Field Organizer (YAHL supervisor), Beverly. During the training, Beverly educated me and many […]

How YAHL Leadership Team Prepared Me to Make Change by Payton Bounds

My name is Payton Bounds; I am a senior at Purcell High School. I have worked with many students who are a part of YAHL and on the leadership team. At the YAHL summit, we all gather from across Oklahoma for a few days to learn more about leadership. I originally joined YAHL for the […]

My Experience with YAHL by Emma Teague

I am Emma Teague, and I am going to be a senior at Keys High School. This year is my first year being on the Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) leadership team. My first experience with YAHL was at the training hosted at my high school. Later that year, I participated in YAHL Swap […]

Why Health Activism is Important to Me by Lillian Dallis

My name is Lillian. I am 15, and I’m from Park Hill, Tahlequah. YAHL is a program that talks about unhealthy ways and habits that can affect your life. You may learn new things, meet new people and make new friends along the way! We talk about how to better Oklahoma for kids, teens and […]

Sparking Change for this Generation and the Next by Braden Mensack

My name is Braden Mensack. I am a senior from Keys High School and have beenadvocating through the Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) program for almost twoyears. YAHL is a youth-led advocacy organization focused on improving the health andwell-being of youth in the state of Oklahoma. I decided that I needed to join the […]

Passing Policies to Protect Youth by Aaron Roy

Hello, my name is Aaron Roy, and I’m 15 and from Duncan OK. I work with the youth program called YAHL which is an acronym for Youth Action for Health Leadership. We try to raise health standards for youth all over Oklahoma. I joined YAHL to become a better version of myself. I’m glad that […]

My Goal? Stopping Big Tobacco! by Rhianna Dumas

My name is Rhianna Dumas, and I’m 14. I was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and stayed there until I was 7; now I live in Oklahoma City. This past year I joined a program called YAHL. YAHL stands for Youth Action for Health Leadership, and we work with TSET to get better health choices at […]

Giving a Voice to the Voiceless by My Nguyen

Hello, my name is My Nguyen, I am 15, and I live in Oklahoma City. I’m a member of YAHL, which stands for Youth Action for Health Leadership. In YAHL, we work on two youth-led campaigns: CounterAct Tobacco and Elevate Student Health. I joined YAHL because it is a really good way to help my […]

My Journey with YAHL by Mayra Amezcua

Hi, my name is Mayra, and I’m from Howe Public Schools. I am currently 14 years old. I’m a part of an organization called Youth Action for Health Leadership or YAHL. I joined YAHL to try something new. When I joined, I was hoping to gain leadership skills, better public speaking skills and earn scholarships. […]

Working Hard to Make a Difference by Essence Felder

Hello, I’m Essence Felder. I currently live in OKC, Oklahoma, and I’m 16. YAHL stands for Youth Action for Health Leadership. YAHL’s main goal is to better youth’s lives as a whole, be it through CounterAct Tobacco or Elevate Student Health. I decided to join because I loved that YAHL is not only pointing out […]

Why I Joined YAHL by Deiondra Howard

I am Deiondra Howard. I’m from Coalgate, Oklahoma, and I’m currently 16 years old. I chose to join YAHL because I want to improve my community. As a teen in high school, I am exposed to a lot of vaping on a daily basis. I think that YAHL can help to improve the problem of […]

Making a Difference in Coalgate, Oklahoma by Brecken Hunt

Hello everyone, my name is Brecken. I live in Atoka, but I go to school in Coalgate, and I am 16. I work with a student-led organization called YAHL. YAHL stands for Youth Action for Health Leadership. I joined for two reasons. First, I wanted to have a bit of fun, and second, I wanted […]

YAHL Impacts My Community for the Better by Carina Chen

Hello, my name is Carina Chen. I am fourteen years old, I am from Oklahoma and last, but definitely not least, I am a member of the leadership team at YAHL. YAHL stands for Youth Action for Health and Leadership, and they are a health activist group working towards two campaigns: CounterAct Tobacco and Elevate […]