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My name is Reuben L. I am a senior at Colonial Forge High School. This is my first year
as a member of Y Street. So far this year, I was able to reach out to multiple students
about the importance of tobacco-free public spaces through the Share The Air
campaign. I believe that everyone should have a public space that is free from harmful
products. Second-hand smoking is a lot worse than smoking, in my opinion. Being able
to participate in a movement that makes a difference in my community means a lot to
me.

Virginia Healthy Youth Day was held in Richmond, the state capital. I came to this event
with high expectations and it is safe to say that I left no stones unturned. I walked into a
room filled with Y-Sters who had so much love for their communities. I saw myself in
each and every one of them. We all had this enormous connection that is truly
unexplainable. Spending a day with people who share similar interests was absolutely
amazing. Through this event, I was able to interact with some very influential people.
Never in my life would I have dreamt about having breakfast with delegates and
senators. We talked about life after high school and I also got great advice from people I
aspire to be like in the future. The whole day was surreal! For once I regret being a
senior because that means I only get to participate this year. Even though this is sad, it
has taught me to cherish the moments I have in front of me right now.

I have always wanted to be a catalyst for change. I have always wanted to be a part of a
movement greater than myself. Joining Y Street was the best decision I have ever
made! It has given me this amazing opportunity to positively affect my community. The
future is bright as a Y-Ster because, with every step we take, we embark on a journey to
be catalysts of change, making a difference every step of the way.

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Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

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My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

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Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

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My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

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Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

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Hey! It’s Ashlyn C and Abbey T, seniors at Charlottesville High School. We have both been a part of Y Street for two years. As Y Street activists and leadership team members, through the Rev Your Bev campaign, we have made a commitment with the nutrition director and the principal of our school to have a hydration station available to students and staff at least once a week.
This campaign is important to me, Ashlyn, because growing up, my family was not always the healthiest. I grew up around plenty of junk food and sugary drinks. My dad has always been my role model, so when he started changing his eating habits, to better himself and his family, I followed him. He also pushed me to do more sports, so as a student-athlete, it is crucial that I stay hydrated, not only to perform well on the field but to do well in school.

Rev Your Bev is a campaign that really hits close to home for me, Abbey, as well. I remember learning about it for the first time and immediately being engaged in its mission. I was really excited to get involved and I was already brainstorming ideas of events and things I could plan with other Y-Sters before the meeting had ended. Rev Your Bev is important to me because I’ve seen multiple members of my family struggle with health issues such as heart attacks and diabetes. It’s been really difficult seeing my loved ones deal with these issues so I made a promise to myself to be healthier. I drink water every single day and there’s nothing that I enjoy more.

On February 3, we were able to sit down with our school division’s nutritional director, Mr. Carlton Jones. Last year he met with us about our Great Starts with Breakfast campaign and he was a great help. We were very appreciative of him sitting down to meet with us again, and he was very accommodating for this year’s Rev Your Bev campaign. He signed a pledge saying that we will be able to set up our hydration stations in our cafeteria at least once per week, but has instead decided to allow us to have them in place every single day of the week. I, Abbey, am overwhelmingly grateful for his support because not only will I be able to drink refreshing and good-tasting water even after I run out of water that I’ve brought from home, but so will my peers. It’s especially good for students that don’t have access to water at home.

On February 6, we hosted an event, in which we gave out water bottles to our classmates and allowed them to decorate the water bottles with stickers, washi tape, markers, etc. This event was held in the cafeteria during our two lunches. This was also the kickoff event for our new hydration station that would be placed in our cafeteria. We had about 13 Y Street youth helping with this event. I, Ashlyn, believe a lot of students were very excited about this event. It was something new, different, and caught a lot of people’s interest. Many students were interested in the hydration station we just had put in place, which encouraged them to try the new and flavored water at our school. And throughout the week since the event, I, Abbey, have seen students go and refill said water bottles using the hydration station, and it’s something that I’ve heard students chatting about.

We think youth activism is important because society has put in our heads that we, as teenagers, can’t make a change because we “don’t know what we are talking about.” Many young people don’t like listening to adults, as it makes them feel insignificant. Interacting with the students at our school allows us to introduce them to something they may not have heard of and educate them on the importance of drinking water on a connected level. Many teenagers drink coffee to stay focused (guilty as charged with younger me! – Ashlyn), but changing that coffee to water has changed my whole focus in school.

Y Street allows us to share our message on the scale as large as the entire state of Virginia. Along with Charlottesville High, there are 21 other schools that are working on the same campaigns, which makes us that much more mission-oriented as a youth. Y Street also gives us the opportunity to create life-long connections with other youth who have the same mindset and drive as us. Our role in our high school is so important. Within the first six months of the 2019-2020 school year, we were able to give every student the chance to be hydrated and excited about drinking water, and that was a huge win for us!

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A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

READ MORE
Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

READ MORE
My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

READ MORE
Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

READ MORE
My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

READ MORE
Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

READ MORE