My name is Scotlynn H, and I am a senior at Vanoss High School. This will be my second year as a YAHL member and my first year on the YAHL Leadership Team. Beverly Lowe, the former Youth Field Organizer for YAHL, helped me set up my Elevate Student Health event at one of my school's basketball games. 

The Elevate Student Health campaign helps promote health and wellness for students in schools across Oklahoma. We advocate for healthy snack options, clean drinking water, periodic physical activity, and so much more. At this event, I shared some information about Elevate with the parents, staff, faculty, and students that stopped by our booth before or during the basketball games. I asked these school community members to take our Elevate Student Health survey, and gave out some cool Elevate merch for their participation. I informed them of why their engagement with this survey is important and how we can use their answers to better our school and community. I also shared with them the need for Oklahoma to pass comprehensive school wellness policies, and how those policies will benefit our schools greatly.

The health of my peers is very important to me because I've seen first hand what poor health decisions can do to someone over time. Sharing information with the community about the need for new policies is something that I feel is greatly needed. These new policies will provide students in schools with greater access to healthy foods, safe drinking water, and more physical activity. These things would positively impact the overall health of the students at my school, and will benefit the community as a whole. This event was very fun and helped spread the word about the need for a healthy change in my school!

By Scotlynn Hatton, YAHL Leadership Team member from Vanoss High School

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