2008 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards

The Youth Advocates of the Year Awards honor top youth advocates from across the country — youth who have fought hard to promote tobacco prevention legislation in their home states, to reduce tobacco marketing to kids in their communities and to stop their peers from using tobacco.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free kids provides a $5,000 scholarship for the national youth winner, $2,500 scholarships for each regional winner, a $2500 grant to a group and a $2,000 to the international grant winner.

The winners receive their scholarships and grants at a gala in Washington, D.C. and attend our annual Youth Advocacy Symposium, where they meet other youth advocates and participate in advocacy events and various trainings, including workshops on media strategy, public speaking, and youth empowerment.

Want to get active in your community? Visit www.kickbuttsday.org and learn what sorts of things you can do!

National Youth Advocate of the Year

Time and again C.J. Petersen has shown incredible initiative to create change.

He has founded two chapters of JEL (Just Eliminate Lies), Iowa’s youth anti-tobacco movement. He has served on JEL’s Executive Council and was selected by his peers to represent JEL youth as a voting commissioner for the Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control.

He has participated in numerous advocacy events, from highlighting the dangers of smokeless tobacco at the Iowa State Fair to a protest in which students from seven high schools picketed outside of a tobacco outlet. C.J. has seen attitudes regarding Big Tobacco shift among his peers and has helped change policy by successfully advocating for passage of tobacco-free campuses in three different school districts.

Additionally, C.J. attended the 2007 National Conference on Tobacco or Health and participated in the national “Freedom to Breathe” advocacy event, which celebrated the progress advocates across the country have made towards a smoke-free America. In the words of his advisor, “C.J. is a strong and fearless advocate for youth and tobacco control.”

International Grant Winner

Morgan Wittman,
Durham, N.C., 18

Morgan Wittman is an active advocate at the local, state, national and international levels.

She has educated peers in North Carolina, worked to pass statewide tobacco-free schools legislation and urged members of Congress to support FDA regulation of tobacco products. 

This past October, Morgan was selected to represent American youth as part of an international coalition, Youth for Health that presented 250,000 signatures of youth from around the world to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The petition dealt with several aspects of health including tobacco use.

Since then, Morgan has been working with members of HRIDAY-SHAN, an organization in India, to further their action plan and keep youth around the world connected through the Global Youth Advocacy Network which was founded at the 2006 World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Washington, DC.

Morgan will be traveling to Guatemala this summer to work on air quality issues and hopes to attend the 2009 World Conference on Tobacco or Health in India.  

Group Winner

Lawton-Ft. Sill SWAT Team,
Lawton, Okla.

The Lawton- Ft. Sill SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) Team is “determined to nip the tobacco industry in the cigarette butt,” accordingly to their advisor.

This group of students, supported by the Tobacco Prevention Program at Comanche County Memorial Hospital, is fighting the tobacco industry through interactive community projects, educational trainings and policy advocacy. One of their most successful projects has been their annual Legislative Breakfasts.

This year the group called on legislators to support both a tobacco-free park initiative and Oklahoma becoming smoke-free. This past December the group created a tribute wall in a local mall where hundreds of people participated by dedicating a tile to those who have resisted tobacco, quit using tobacco or died from a tobacco-related illness.

Most recently, the Lawton-Ft. Sill SWAT Team completed an extensive Kick Butts Day event that included an art exhibit, a testimonial wall and a What’s In a Cigarette display. This group also partners with other community organizations to further their prevention message. 

These are just some of the ways that the Lawton-Ft. Sill SWAT team uses a diligent and diversified approach to tobacco control that makes them effective.

East Regional Youth Advocate of the Year

Merritt McLaughlin,
Dover, N.H., 15

At only 15 years old, Merritt McLaughlin is an advocate, an activist and a dedicated leader.

In both 2006 and 2007, Merritt participated in demonstrations at the Altria/Philip Morris shareholder meeting.She even got to address Altria executives about their marketing practices targeted towards youth.

In Dover, Merritt is involved in numerous aspects of tobacco prevention. 

In addition to educating her peers through community-based awareness projects, Merritt is also seasoned in working with the media. She has appeared on television and helped record multiple public service announcements.

Merritt also has experience working on policy initiatives. She has testified before the New Hampshire Legislature in favor of both the state smoke-free air act and an increase in tobacco prevention funding.  In the words of her advisor, “Merritt has had an enormous impact on her peers and tobacco control in her community.”

South Regional Youth Advocate of the Year

Auriel Rolle-Polk,
Tallahassee, Fla., 17

According to her nominator, “this dynamic young woman is a true youth advocate.”  Auriel Rolle-Polk has been working in tobacco control for four years now.

She founded a SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) chapter at her high school and has capitalized on the opportunity to speak with elected officials about restricting the sales of candy-flavored tobacco products and raising the cigarette tax.

Auriel was also instrumental in creating and implementing a spit tobacco awareness event for youth on the steps of Florida’s Capitol.  The event garnered local and national media coverage. 

Another nominator described Auriel as “a very independent self-starter who has found a balance between leading and collaborating with others.” 

Over the next year, Auriel hopes to continue her tobacco prevention work and help achieve a ban on the sale of candy-flavored tobacco products in Florida.

Central Regional Youth Advocate of the Year

Michelle Mays,
Rhinelander, WI, 17

Michelle Mays has a range of tobacco control experience, from helping to produce educational media for her peers to hosting youth rallies in support of smoke-free Wisconsin to conducting retail compliance checks.

And her work is paying off. The sale of tobacco products to youth in Oneida County has dropped significantly.

Michelle has been an active member of FACT (Fighting Against Corporate Tobacco), Wisconsin’s statewide anti-tobacco youth movement, since she was twelve years old.

Working with FACT, Michelle has spoken with city officials and state lawmakers to advocate for smoke-free air and cigarette tax increases. She has also attended the Altria/Philip Morris shareholder meeting and participated in an advocacy event at the Altria headquarters in New York City.

Michelle’s nominator calls her “confident, knowledgeable and diligent in getting her ideas and messages to the public.”  Currently, Michelle is eagerly awaiting the release of FACT’s new advertising campaign inspired by Wisconsin youth.    

West Regional Youth Advocate of the Year

Emily Allison,
Gardnerville, NV, 16

Emily Allison, now a high school junior, has been involved in tobacco prevention activities since she was in the 7th grade. In the words of her advisor, “Emily’s unwavering devotion to her community exemplifies strong moral fiber and character.”

Emily has a range of advocacy experience, from participating in Kick Butts Day to educating her peers to informing elected officials about the ingredients in a cigarette.

Additionally, Emily has taken her work to the state level by testifying at a hearing in favor of a bill making it illegal for minors to possess tobacco or any related products. She was even recognized on the state Senate floor for her involvement.

One of Emily’s most recent projects included a Clean Cuisine effort in Nevada, which rewarded local restaurants for being smoke-free by giving them free advertisement online and in newspapers.

Like many, Emily’s commitment to tobacco prevention is deeply personal as she was never able to meet her grandfather who died of a tobacco-related disease. Today, she works tirelessly to help prevent other youth from starting down the same path or losing loved ones too early.  

All winners will work with the Campaign throughout the year, traveling to conferences and other youth events across the country to promote tobacco prevention.

Past winners have been interviewed on Oprah and Peter Jennings Reporting, appeared in People magazine, participated in White House events, spoken at press conferences and met with Members of Congress, among others.

Learn more about previous Youth Advocates of the Year