Youth Health Action Team Archive

Hello, my name is Alison or Ali. I’m a senior in high school and a part of the Youth Health Action Team. In my junior year, I was in multiple programs like the Arizona Train Association, Ironwood Tree Experience, and City High’s Restorative Program. In all of these programs, I’ve done action projects for youth mental health. I’m currently running two projects teaching youth how to cope with mental health through environmental education. We go on hikes and work through all the ways that our Sonoran Desert can help with our mental health. My mentor Kristen, from Ironwood Tree Experience, pushed me to apply to this, knowing I was passionate about youth mental health. So I did.

I’ve spent years struggling with mental health myself, and eventually learned skills to cope. I’ve witnessed the intersectionality of mental health firsthand and I’ve seen how bias and stereotypes affect it. Every person has a different thing that helps pull them out of mental health struggles, whether they know what that thing is yet or not. Almost two years ago, I was in a place so dark that I didn’t think I could ever get out. That was until I found my passions: classics and environmentalism.

I found that my classics studies intersected with my environmental internships and the mix of the two taught me something very important. These things taught me to learn from stories. Folklore teaches lessons through stories filled with metaphors, and in some ways myths can be seen as folklore. It’s a great emotional skill to pull lessons from stories and to take it even further, use those lessons in your day to day life. That is my goal. I want people to learn from our stories.

Hi! My name is Anna and I’m a junior in high school. I love social activism, horseback riding, reading, poetry, photography, and environmentalism! Creating media projects, whether that be poetry, photography drawing or even painting in my free time. My future isn’t in art though. I want to become an incredibly successful real estate agent in San Francisco.

I want more than anything for people to remember me as a force of nature. My mother, doubling as my life-long role model and built-in best friend, is leaving the biggest shoes to fill, and I intend to outgrow them. If I could choose three words to describe me they’d be headstrong, compassionate, and loud! My typical day varies immensely by what day of the week it is. On Mondays, you can find me horseback riding or at school. On Tuesdays? I’m not even thinking about my horse in mock trial practice. Each day is a new adventure, and each problem is a new hill to climb.

I’m most proud of my accomplishments in my community.  In 2021, I started my schools composting program. I was tired of seeing pounds and pounds of food go to waste when we could be using it in our garden! On top of that, I am president of our schools’ Girl Up! Club, Founder of our schools’ International Culture Club, and lover of all things leadership. Ask me to speak to 500 people? I’ll jump. Leading anyone, no matter how hard, is when I’m proudest (even when it’s stressful).

Youth health has been a part of my life since I can remember. At 11, I was diagnosed with depression and started therapy. And while to some that might seem sad, I’m happy I was able and willing to get the help I needed. Many people can’t. I call that a good situation!! Now, my life is about giving others tools in their emotional toolbox to help them get the help I needed, just like my mom did for me. I cannot wait to use media and the insight of my peers to create even more projects to help others the way I got help!

My name is Atlas, I go by they/them and I’m 14 years old, and just started high school. In my free time I like to read, or draw, when I feel the motivation to. I like to research topics that interest me. For example, I’ve done research on attachment styles, as well as psychology. I like to write a lot. A good example of that is when a few months ago my English teacher asked us to write two paragraphs about the topic “what makes us who we are?”  And, well, I got really excited because I knew a lot about this subject, so what was supposed to be a two paragraph essay turned into a five page essay. If you couldn’t tell, I’m a bit of an overachiever.

My relationship to youth health is primarily to my mental health providers. The psychiatrist I see has diagnosed me with borderline personality disorder (bpd) and the psychiatrist before that diagnosed me with post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) and an eating disorder, as well as some psychiatrist that worked in the hospital that talked to me while I was in the icu diagnosed with me major depressive disorder (mdd) and generalized anxiety disorder (gad), and this was at the start of the pandemic, but with some help I’m doing better now.

A skill or talent that most people don’t know about is that, well, let’s say I watch this show a few months ago, I can quote some of my favorite lines even if I’ve only heard them once. I don’t necessarily have an eidetic memory, but when I read something, I can more than likely quote it word by word back to you if it’s interesting, and by interesting, I mean if it has an impact on me, or if it seems important. It comes in handy when I have to summarize a text and also quote something because I retain 98% of what I read, as well as being able to remember it word by word.

Hi! My name is CJ, and I am currently a sophomore in high school. In my free time, I like to hang out with my three guinea pigs, read science fiction books, and watch videos about Meow Wolf art exhibits. I joined the Health Action team to reconnect with art as a medium of self-expression, since my busy schedule has been keeping me from doing so for a while. I’ve recently been enjoying experimenting with creating collages and other multimedia art forms. I approach art by finding as many shiny, brightly colored, or funny-looking things as I can and then gluing them all together. Reading motivates me to create art and put my own spin on the ideas of authors that I like.

Hi I’m Estrella Lucero, I’m 18 years old and I'm in my last year of high school. I joined the Health Action Team as a recommendation to share my photography skills. I enjoy sharing and teaching others about photography. I think it's an underrated form of art. It is such a beautiful thing to be able to take a place and hold it in that time forever. I think art is a great way to express how you feel. When my mother died it was one of the ways I expressed myself and not feel lost in my loss. Writing was one of the main ways I expressed myself. It's a wonderful feeling to write everything down for me, easier than talking about it to someone. Music is also a great form of art. Some of my favorite songs/articles are Korn, My Chemical Romance, Slipknot, Moose Blood and Lil peep. Music is always changing and growing. It's my favorite part of music. This year I plan on learning and sharing new skills and helping others learn how to express their feelings. If I knew from a younger age I could throw my feelings into some kind of art I would feel so much more free. I hope to help as many people as I can.

AP student by day (and night, I suppose), film enthusiast… also by day. I’m currently a Junior in high school, and am enthralled by photography, filmmaking, and various other hobbies that would take up a page or so. My photo and film interest was sparked by my current teacher, who also introduced me to the Health Action Team program, and has inspired me to create as much as I can to show my own thoughts and feelings in a relatable, viewable way. Even as these outlets are a great way for teens to speak their minds, it can be helpful to partake in other activities. As a part of trans youth, mental health is highly important to me. I would say a big portion of my life has been dedicated to youth health, as I struggled with my own mental health for a long while. I joined the Health Action Team to understand ways to get through these thoughts and help those around me, as well as myself.

Hi, I’m Hannah! I’m a junior in high school, and I am passionate about social and political change. At school, I co-lead the Arizona chapter of Not My Generation, a gun violence prevention coalition. I am also the president of the UHS Dreamcatchers Club, which connects student volunteers with local hospices to grant patients’ last wishes. Outside of school, I am the copy editor of Hear Our Voices Magazine, a national youth-led literary magazine for Asian American youth. I am also a Youth Commissioner for Arizona’s Metropolitan Education Commission.

My goals for my high school career are to become involved in local legislative change: I am hoping to help pass a bill requiring Arizona K-12 schools to add Asian American history to their curricula. I am not sure what I want to do after school, but public policy is something that interests me! I believe that youth education is one of the most crucial aspects of social justice and public health. It is necessary that schools can effectively educate youth about real-world issues they may experience later in life. I am also invested in schools’ ability to keep students safe no matter what. We have seen nationally, that from pandemics to weapons, both elementary and high schools are not always equipped to handle threats to public safety. I hope to help change that within my lifetime!

When I’m not working, I love to travel. New York City is my favorite place right now! I also love playing the piano – one of my biggest accomplishments was my performance with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in 2017. I have an upcoming recital as a part of St. Philip’s Church Rising Stars Series on April 17^th. Music has been a part of my life for over a decade, and it is one of the most important things in my life!

Hello, my name is Jenna! I am a senior in high school who joined the Youth Action Team to both help others and myself through the things that I learn as well as the projects I will create. During my free time I enjoy reading, crocheting, and playing my violin. Next year, I plan to attend the University of Arizona and work towards a degree in Optical Engineering.

Though I spend much of my time doing schoolwork and the activities I listed previously, my favorite pastime is spending time with my friends. Almost every day we do something after school together. I laugh the hardest when I am with them. I also enjoy spending time with my family. Though different than hanging out with my friends (obviously), I am happiest when with my family. My dad always has these obscure movies and shows from his childhood that he shares with my brother and me. My mom hates them, meaning they’re all the more fun to watch. I am a very grateful person for all the warmth and laughter that surrounds me.

This team is a way for me to help myself and others recover from the mental challenges associated with the loneliness and despair of the past few years. Right now, I am not too sure how to help. But I will learn.

Hello! My name is Juli (she/her). I am a junior in high school. I enjoy reading, drawing and animals. I have won several medals for swimming. I am in the youth health action team since I have experienced mental health issues, making me, in my opinion, a very good candidate to talk about mental health, along with helping other teens/adults understand mental health better. I have many goals for myself, but at the moment I want to have a set career choice, so I could study it in college.

Hi! My name is Keertana, and I am a freshman in high school. I have lived in Tucson for all of my life, and I love the winters here! In my free time, I enjoy reading books, drawing, listening to music, playing chess, and spending time with my friends and family.  Outside of school, I love to get involved with my community. This year, I started writing for Bear Essential News as a teen reporter, and I love to volunteer with my family and spiritual community as well.

I am so glad that I joined the Health Action Team this year! I think it is really important for a teen outlook on mental health, and I have already met so many different, amazing people who care just as much about the mental health of our community. I am so excited to continue working with everyone on the team, and I hope this project makes some sort of difference in the community.

My name is Maya, and as a writer, author and overall creator, I am eager to participate in the Woods Library Health Action Team. I use many mediums of expression, anything from digital art to acting to poetry, and was featured in something lol. A goal I have is to encourage communal connections; establishing a support system between the community.

Mental health is an increasingly important topic in today’s age, and as an individual with anxiety, it is important to acknowledge and tackle these challenges. To lift others up, to band together.

My name is Parker, I am a 17-year-old Latino, as well as a senior in high school. I am a library page here at Woods Memorial Library, and a proud member of the Health Action Team. I love listening to music, and I have played in several mariachi groups in Tucson over the course of 10 years. I like to make films, but specifically directing them. I love using film as a way to bring awareness to whatever issues may arise, along with blazing a path for future filmmakers. However, what I enjoy the most is helping people help THEMSELVES.

Most of my hobbies are just that: hobbies. However, I occasionally do something right and gain an award or certificate. Whether it’s from film festivals or mariachi competitions, here are some of the cool things I’ve accomplished:

• I was script supervisor and assistant editor for an Emmy nominated student produced short film (2022)
• Placed 1^st in the stop-motion category in the Southern Arizona High School film festival (2020)
• Placed 2^nd in Tucson International Mariachi Conference Student Showcase with Mariachi los Changuitos Feos
• Placed 1^st in Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference Showcase with THMS’ Mariachi Rayos del Sol (2019)
• Was the only freshman to be accepted into Mariachi Rayos del Sol (2019-2020)

With all these commitments comes a lot of stress, and a lot of imposter’s syndrome. My life had been chaotic running from gig to gig since I was 7, and in 2020 the stress began to pile up, and my mental health was quickly deteriorating. I felt I had no one to turn to, and that I was completely and utterly alone. I think it is important for young people to express how they feel, and let go. Being able to relax in a safe space is something a lot of people are missing in life, and the Health Action Team is the perfect environment to validate and uplift young people. In the future, I hope to attend NYU with a major in Film Production and a minor in Library/Information Sciences.

Hi, I’m Rose. I like to read fictional books, paint with my friends, play billiards, and go to the arcade. I loved the arcade so much that, in this past year, my parents and I created a tradition to win plushies from claw machines once a week, and we always leave with 3 plushies. I also play the violin and am involved in many orchestras, both in and out of school. Some of my accomplishments include having AP scholar awards, being a National Merit Semifinalist, being selected into the all-state orchestra, and more.

I’m interested in going into Pre-Med in college in hopes of becoming a cardiovascular surgeon, so I’ve revolved a lot of my activities into being health-related. I’ve attended the medical program at the National Student Leadership Conference in UCSD and interned at Syncardia Systems, an artificial heart manufacturing company. I’m also the president and chapter founder of my school’sHOSA (Health Occupations for Students of America) organization. Through these experiences, I’ve solidified my desire to pursue a career in medicine.

My relationship with youth health is honestly new. Although physical health is a big priority to me, I’ve always overlooked my mental health. In many cultures, mental health is never given the attention it needs, and my brother and I were simply one of the many cases. This is why I joined the Health Action Team. I hope to explore beyond the superficial stigma placed on mental health and want to support the youths in Tucson.

My name is Savanna and I am a junior in high school. I am on my school tennis team. During my free time I like to go on hikes, bake, and hang out with my friends. I create different kinds of art. Some of the art that I enjoy creating consists of making clay sculptures, drawing, cake decorating, painting, poetry, and doing crafts of all kind. A few of my accomplishments have been being able to improve vastly in school from when I was younger, learning how to cope with stress and pressure, and trying to put myself out there more in new social situations.

I am Travis Cooper (He/Him), and I am in 10th grade. I love video games, hiking, and computer science. My dream job is working at a game company as a software engineer.

I write constantly–fiction and nonfiction. “Planetary Extinction Club,” a teenage alien love story that I wrote last year, won a Gold Key in the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and was published in SandScript Magazine. I am also involved in STEM outreach, mountain lion protection advocacy, and literacy promotion.

My goal as a Health Action Team Youth Intern is to combat mental health challenges that affect teens in Pima County. I am particularly concerned about how the threats of school shootings and climate change impact teens.