My name is Genoveva Gallegos. I am from Tucumcari, New Mexico and I am a senior at Pecos Cyber Academy. I would like to share about my experience with Take Down Tobacco Day. Take Down Tobacco Day is a day where myself, and other Evolvement members, held a special event, filled with games and activities. Take Down Tobacco day is a national day of action, in which schools around the nation participate to spread awareness about the harms of tobacco use. This was my experience with Take Down Tobacco Day at my school, which is virtual:

In preparation for this event, our wonderful 24/7 campaign manager, Raquel Mooring-Peña, helped us prepare with practice sessions. She let us know what to expect, and how to run the different games and activities. At my school, we learned how to operate the game Family Feud. During what my school calls ‘bunch-a-lunch’ I invited some of my friends and other classmates to join us. We had 6 people attend in total.        

I helped my fellow leadership team partners, and good friends, with the questions and keeping track of participants’ points. There were 6 questions and 6 winners, however each person could only win once. Everyone seemed to be having fun, and really interacting with the game. I was happy to have the opportunity to take part because I not only got to do it with my friends, but also got to share something with others which I am personally very empowered by: spreading awareness and showing my peers that they can accomplish anything they put their minds and hearts into by being engaged. For me personally, I do this by interacting and educating others about tobacco. I liked getting their feedback, and learning about my peers’ experiences and knowledge. They had a lot to say about the types of tobacco they’ve seen being used, the advertisements they have seen, and the reasons they encouraged someone they know to refrain from using tobacco products in schools and at school events.

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2. Empowering Others Through Advocacy: My Take Down Tobacco Day Experience