Hello! My name is Diego Romero and I currently attend Arrowhead Park Early College High School. I have been in Evolvement for a little over 1 1/2 years. So, how did I get to attend the Leadership Summit? Well, I saw it as an opportunity that would be great for me to learn and develop more skills like public speaking and social skills. I applied for the Leadership Team thinking I did horrible on my application, but the day I found out I got in, I was ecstatic. And then here I am, attending a summit and learning so much everyday that we are here. 

The Evolvement Leadership Team Summit has been very useful in terms of building skills that we will be using for events and meetings that we may do. I personally have learned so much about public speaking that I never knew and I think will help me be better at presenting and talking to people. I have also been working on some social skills which have led me to making lifelong friends. 

Being in Evolvement is very important to me because we are doing some pretty big work for being pretty young. The fact that we get to talk to legislators who can change major policies is fascinating. I may not have done much work outside of school, but we in Evolvement as a whole are doing so much more work together.

My name is Robyn Ortega. I’m an incoming senior at Mora High School. This is my second Year in Evolvement but my first time attending the Leadership Summit. When the opportunity arose to take part in the Summit, I immediately thought “No, this isn’t for me.” I don’t usually go out of my comfort zone a lot and the Summit would force me to abandon my wall of comfort for sure. Although I wasn’t a fan of the idea at first, I slowly realized that not attending would be a big mistake. 

I was right. The experience is one of a kind. I’ve participated in activities I wouldn’t dare do back home. One of my favorite challenges involved going around the mall and asking others to take an opinion survey for No Minor Sale. Going into it I was so nervous. In fact, I started shaking and stuttering when asking the first person. Luckily, a teammate came in for the rescue. The more people we asked, the easier it got. And hey, my team even won the challenge by collecting the most surveys. Although it sure was fun to win, the greatest prize was realizing it wasn’t all that scary to talk to people. 

We’ve done a lot of other fun activities too. Yesterday, we did public speaking stations. We got the chance to get more comfortable talking to one another in a professional environment and make friends at the same time. It was cool because it was so much fun that I didn’t even realize I was learning so many new skills. I will definitely be using the skills and tips I learned in my next public speaking event. The tips have even helped me be more comfortable talking with the other students at the Summit.

The best part of the entire event is that I got to learn so much. I’ve learned a lot about No Minor Sale, and 24/7, the campaigns we support through Evolvement. Everything I learned at Summit will make my efforts for Evolvement this year more driven then the previous year. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned about the program and share it with my school. 

My name is Jazelle; I am a senior at Los Lunas High school and I’ve been in Evolvement for 2 years, 1 of which I have spent on the leadership team. When I first heard of Evolvement and their mission I was glad that there were people who cared about the tobacco use within our youth. After being briefly introduced to Evolvement in a class presentation I knew I wanted to be a part of making a change.

 My first year due to COVID was not the most eventful due to everything being online but my second year of Evolvement, first year on the Leadership Team, I got to take part in the “Day at the Capitol.” A few Evolvement members and myself went to Santa Fe to give a small speech about Evolvement and what we stand for, the importance of it, and our personal experiences that lead us to wanting to make a change. Getting to Sante Fe we rode on the railroad runner which was a first for me. On the ride we played games and did some final touch up on our speech followed by a few practice rehearsals. Upon arriving again my group and I practiced our lines and prepared to go up on the podium. When the time came to go up and present I was super nervous and worried; worried that I would mess up, worried that I would stutter, worried I wasn’t loud enough, and every worst possible scenario my mind could generate.

 However, seeing the people watching us and seeing how some of them were engaged in what we were saying made me feel more confident in what I was doing. Their interested faces gave me confirmation that what we were doing was meaningful and made people ponder about the benefit of what a tobacco free school environment could be for youth followed by how preventing access to tobacco for youth can help thousands. Being in Evolvement is important to me because it is a way to make change and encourage others to want to be better as individuals and as a community. My experience at the Capitol was a big step in being seen by people all across New Mexico and reaching the heart of parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, and so much more.

Hi, my name is Rio Romero, I go to Los Lunas High School, and this is my third year in Evolvement. I always thought that there was a tobacco use problem amongst the youth in my community. So, when Evolvement came and presented the program, I was eager to join. Evolvement has given me so many opportunities and I am excited to share one of the more recent ones with you.

Early February 2022, my YFO contacted me about participating in a press conference for NMACT (New Mexico Allied Council on Tobacco) at the Capital in Santa Fe. Of course I said yes and I was also excited that I would get to do it with two other Evolvement members (Jazelle Basped and Adrianna Casaus). On February 14, I met my YFO and Jazelle, at the Rail Runner train station around 5:30am and rode up to Sante Fe with them. We met Adrianna up at the station in Sante Fe and then walked to the Capitol
building. The press conference was outside and we watched a couple people present before it was our turn. Our segment was about five minutes and everything went smoothly. We talked about what Evolvement does, and what good things could come out of raising the tobacco tax. Afterwards we were able to talk with a couple legislators, and everyone seemed amazed with the work we were doing. It was a really amazing experience and I felt really proud of myself for being able to represent Evolvement and share that what we are doing today can make an impact on the minor tobacco use problem.

The press conference is only one of many great experiences Evolvement has given me. I like that Evolvement gives me the opportunity to use my voice to make change in my state. I feel strongly about what I am doing with Evolvement, and I plan on staying a part of it for as long as possible.

My name is Maya Patrick,  and I am going into my senior year at Pecos Cyber Academy. I have been in Evolvement for about 2 years now, and during this time I have had so many opportunities to educate myself and my community about the harms of tobacco products, and even meet with legislators about our organization and its campaigns. I joined the leadership team this year because I wanted more opportunities to collaborate with other Evolvers and do more to advocate against the commercial tobacco industry.

Through Evolvement, I have had the opportunity to participate in meetings with legislators and important organizations such as the Otero County Juvenile Justice Board and the Center of Health Innovation. These meetings have allowed me to expand my public speaking skills, collaborate with other Evolvers, and make real progress in the fight against the commercial tobacco industry. Through Evolvement, I have also been given extensive training and education about the harms of tobacco products and been taught how to best educate others about these harmful effects. At the leadership team summit, I learned so much about reaching out and educating others in my community. I even went with a group of Evolvers to the mall in Albuquerque to hand out surveys and talk about our No Minor Sale campaign with the people there. The leadership summit prepared me for a variety of events and gave me many opportunities to practice teamwork and leadership skills.

I am glad that I joined Evolvement because it has given me a platform to create real change in my community, and in the entire state of New Mexico, regarding the illegal sale of tobacco to minors, tobacco products in schools, and in educating my community members about the addictive ingredients and harmful effects of tobacco products. I am so thankful that I am a part of this organization and I hope to continue working with Evolvement even after I graduate high school! 🙂

Hello my name is Stephanie. I attend school at Mora High School. I have been in Evolvement for over a year now. So you’re probably saying well what is Evolvement anyways? Well, I’m glad you asked. Evolvement is a youth led program designed to take down tobacco for teens.

We have two campaigns. One is called No Minor Sale, which is working to end the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors. The other is 24/7 which is working to get schools to adopt a policy of keeping their school tobacco free 24/7. I’ve taken part in collecting opinion surveys for both campaigns and meeting with our state’s legislators. I thought it was amazing because of the support we received from them. Being in Evolvement is important because I want to see good things happen for my school as well as the state as a whole. I think most people don’t realize just how bad tobacco is. My experiences have impacted my community greatly and my school district has even adopted the 24/7 policy which will keep students thriving and safer.

I joined Evolvement because I saw it as a chance to meet new people and I knew I’d have more opportunities in life. I figured it would be great to put on my resume. I think Evolvement is definitely a great place to have fun and learn many new skills. I decided to take part in a summer summit they were hosting. I joined in because I wanted to make a great change for New Mexico. 

I’m writing this blog in hope of getting support and spreading the word about the influence tobacco can have on a teen’s life. 1 in 3 teens are vaping in New Mexico. I want to stop the danger of tobacco from reaching even further! As a member of the leadership team I believe I can make change by recruiting members and educating them on tobacco. 

Hi! My name is Sarette Patrick and I am a rising senior at Pecos Connections Academy. I have been a part of Evolvement since my sophomore year. I joined Evolvement after they presented about the program in my math class. I was excited about how you could earn points by participating in events. Little did I know that I would end up joining the leadership team two years later and participating in two partner presentations. All the while I was creating change in my community and state, building confidence in myself and abilities, as well as making amazing friendships and experiences along the way. 

My first partner presentation was to the Otero County Juvenile Justice Board. I had never done anything this big with Evolvement before so I was very nervous. But after a practice meeting and a thorough explanation on what was going to happen on presentation day, I felt more than prepared. My presentation was about No Minor Sale, what it is, what we do, and a request for the Justice Board to sign on with us. We talked about the dangers of flavored tobacco products, what targeted marketing is, and other various tobacco issues. I also included a slide with statistics comparing certain parts of New Mexico as well as New Mexico as a whole’s tobacco use rate data. Otero County had one of the highest rates of youth tobacco use so it was imperative that we do our best to convince them to sign on with No Minor Sale. The most exciting part is that the board did end up signing on with us. I felt so happy because I knew this was the first step in the right direction for Otero County to handle its high tobacco use rates. And! I had helped create this change. For the first time, I felt like I was really making an impact in my community! 

A few months later I was asked to participate in a partner presentation to the Center of Health Innovation. Remembering how rewarding the previous partner presentation was, I happily agreed to do this one. I was less nervous now that I knew how these projects worked. Also this time there would be three other girls participating with me. It almost seemed like the prep time and presentation flew by just because I was so ready and prepared for it. Again, I talked about No Minor Sale and presented all the facts, statistics, and data related to youth tobacco use, flavored products, and illegal sales to minors. And again, I felt so rewarded making such an impact! It was also really nice working together with all the other girls. 

After both these projects, I realized how much I had grown as a person. Public speaking was slowly getting easier and easier for me. I was becoming far more confident in my ideas and abilities than I had ever been before. I realized how easy it actually was to make a difference. 

Through Evolvement I feel empowered. I know I can use my own voice to create change. I am actually making a tangible impact on those around me. Now partner presentations feel fun rather than scary, making an impact feels possible rather than far-fetched, and my voice feels louder than ever!

Hello! I’m Kaylynn Belew, a rising junior at Portales High School. I’ve been in Evolvement for three years and have spent two of those years on the leadership team. I joined Evolvement in the middle of the pandemic, in hopes of meeting more people my age who had similar goals. 

Evolvement is a great program. It has taught me how to amplify my voice to create change in my community and build my confidence. I’ve had many conversations about the importance of youth advocacy and the negative effects of tobacco use among young adults. Evolvement has given me many opportunities to improve both my public speaking and leadership skills while fighting for a cause I care deeply about, a healthier New Mexico. 

I’ve participated in many events with both the No Minor Sale and 24/7 campaigns. Portales hosts an annual Peanut Valley Festival where Evolvement students run a No Minor Sale booth. We collect surveys and have meaningful conversations with concerned community members about the use of flavored nicotine products among teenagers. The booth is always a huge success. The festival is a great way to get the community’s thoughts and to get the organization’s name out there. The festival is also a great opportunity for new Evolvers to practice their public speaking skills, along with seeing how their work affects the community. Evolvers get to see that they are supported by their community through these events. 

I have also given a partner presentation about the 24/7 campaign to the Clovis Municipal School Board. We highlighted the progress the campaign has made recently and shared why we are so passionate about these programs. The members of the board and community were very interested in our presentation and our cause. I was very nervous at the beginning of the presentation but began to relax when I realized that the board cared about what we were saying. At the end of the presentation, the board expressed that they were glad to see young people, my age, out in the community fighting for what they believe in. 

Evolvement and both campaigns have had such an impact on me and my community. I’ve grown so much as a person as well as educating my peers on tobacco use. As a result of the programs, I’ve also been able to connect with more people in my community.

Hi, my name is Lupita Hernandez and I go by she/they pronouns. I am going to be an 11th grader in August at Espanola Valley High School and this is my first year of being an Evolver. I have decided to become part of the Leadership Team back in May and I thought “this is my chance at doing something kind of big that’ll help change something I hate, which is tobacco.” And so I applied and got accepted to the Leadership Team and to attend a virtual summit. As of right now that I’m writing this, I’m about to attend my 2nd day of summit but let’s push that aside to talk about my experience so far in Evolvement. 

           So, what I can fully remember doing for Evolvement is probably what most Evolvers remember doing is their training day. I first heard of Evolvement through a presentation shown by one of the YFOs, Amanda, who came into my geometry class one day around the end of November. A lot of people signed up for training alongside me, cause we thought it was a way to escape our morning classes for something fun plus we get lunch from a restaurant. And to our surprise, it was. But of course, through the freebies and free Subway subs and chips, we learned a lot more about tobacco and how harmful it truly is.

          Evolvement is important to me because I want to make a small change for the good of the future. A lot of people in my community and people I’m close to use tobacco everyday. With me as an Evolver, I’d like to make tobacco use a thing of the past so people’s lives aren’t cut shorter and so kids don’t have to live with bad health.  It’s very impactful to see people you used to be friends with in elementary school or middle school and just see them get suspended or expelled for going into the bathroom to smoke, but the problem has expanded from the bathrooms to classrooms and buses. It’s not good to see peers just throw their lives away by smoking. So that’s why I decided to stand up and participate in something I know will change everyone’s destinies for the future.

My name is Olivia Fowler, a junior from Portales High School. I have been in Evolvement for two years, and this is my first year on the leadership team. My main interest in Evolvement began with another member of the Portales leadership team, Cali Walker, who told me and a few friends about what Evolvement entails. I found the purpose of the organization to be a great cause and something that I would be interested in, mainly because I have seen and heard the horror stories of people dealing with addiction, and I want to empower the public to be able to fight back against the temptations of tobacco.

So far, my favorite experience of being in Evolvement has been the leadership summit. We went to the Sheraton Uptown in Albuquerque, NM, and spent a few days learning about what it means to be a part of the Evolvement leadership team. I have made so many new friends, worked on public speaking skills, and learned more about what the organization stands for and wants to achieve. I have also learned new techniques about how to make Evolvement more appealing to potential recruits. Another great experience I’ve had with Evolvement was the Portales Peanut Valley Festival. We set up a table and encouraged people to take our quick 5 minute survey. I learned a lot of people’s opinions about our organization, and most were all for it. 

Being in Evolvement is important to me because I want to do everything I can to better educate the public on the dangers of tobacco use. Recently, ENM has helped to pass a law changing the legal age to purchase tobacco products to 21 instead of 18. Although I wasn’t a direct part of the passing of this law, I am extremely proud of the work that Evolvers have done and are continuing to do. I hope that I will be able to help make changes like this in my community along with my fellow Evolvers.