Posted: Mon 10:48 AM, Jul 20, 2015
Teens from all over Nebraska are serving their state by leading No Limits’ – a statewide youth-led tobacco prevention movement. The 10 teens who were chosen following a statewide application process, will serve on a youth leadership board for the 2015–2016 term. The new board members will spend their year organizing anti-tobacco events, such as the annual No Limits Activism Summit and local Kick Butts Day activities. They will also work to empower youth from across Nebraska through training sessions and by motivating and assisting them in the organization of activism projects in their schools and communities.
The teens’ main goal is to use activism to minimize the tobacco industry’s influence in Nebraska. “The tobacco industry targets youth through manipulative marketing,” said Molly Kincaid, No Limits project coordinator. “But teens have power and influence when they speak out together on tobacco issues.”The board sets annual goals that drive its efforts throughout the year. “This year, we hope to empower regions of Nebraska we haven’t reached yet,” Kincaid said.
2015–2016 No Limits Youth Board Members
Brooklyn Larimore of Bellevue returns to the Youth Board for the second time after being active in tobacco prevention efforts in her community. Larimore will be a sophomore at Bellevue West High School where she’s involved in cross country, track and jazz band. Larimore was awarded the 2015 TOYO Teen Award by the Omaha Jaycees.
Returning Youth Board member Cecelia Ponce will be a junior at Hartington-Newcastle High School. Ponce plays volleyball and participates in bowling and track and field. She’s also active in band and choir.Hailey Holmer, a sophomore at Lincoln Northeast, participates in her high school concert choir. This is Holmer’s first year on the No Limits Youth Board.
Joanna Hejl of Lincoln returns to the Youth Board for her third and final year. Hejl will be a senior at Lincoln High School where she’s active in theater, student council and the Leadership Development Project. Hejl is also a volunteer at the Haymarket Theater and is a member of the Nebraska Girls Shakespeare Company. In 2013, Hejl was named Central Region Youth Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.First-time Youth Board member Kamrin Edmonds is a freshman at Wilber-Clatonia High School. He keeps busy with cross country, basketball and track.
Kiley Carroll of Malcolm returns to the No Limits Youth Board for her third one-year term. Carroll will be a senior at Malcolm High School where she plays softball and is involved in speech, drama, band, choir and orchestra. Carroll is also a member of the Region V Systems Youth Action Board.
Returning Youth Board member Leila Alohaid will be a junior at Lincoln Southeast High School, where she is the president of the No Limits club. Alohaid is also involved in theater and is a member of Key Club and Campus Life. In her spare time, she enjoys babysitting and volunteering. This will be her third year on the Youth Board.Maria Basilio is a junior-to-be at Wilber-Clatonia High School. She plays volleyball and basketball, and is a member of the track and field team. Basilio is also active in the FFA and FBLA organizations at school and will be serving her third term on the No Limits Youth Board.
Senior Lexii Goetschius from Hartington-Newcastle High School joins the board for her first year. She is involved in her school’s band, volleyball, track and bowling teams. She is also a member her school’s Cats Against Big Tobacco club.
Tayte Jussel is a new member of the Board this year. Jussel is a sophomore from O’Neill High School. He is an active member of his school’s golf, swim, band and speech teams.
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