State Senator Mike Crider congratulates Brenna Bastin on being named the VOICE Youth Advocate of the Year for the state of Indiana.
Photos by Kristy Deer | Daily Reporter
NEW PALESTINE — VOICE of Hancock County believes that, if state and county officials are going to convince people not to smoke, they have to get to the root of the problem. One of the ways to do that is to make sure teenagers never pick up the habit.
The thought is one of the founding principals of VOICE, a statewide program led by local teenagers which seeks to engage, educate and empower youth to celebrate a tobacco-free lifestyle.
Indiana and national tobacco control partners, committed to engaging and empowering young people, gathered late last week at the New Palestine Wellness Center to celebrate one of their top youth participants with the Bree Wilson Youth Advocate of the Year Scholarship. The award is in memory of Breanna “Bree” Lynn Wilson who fought an admirable battle against cancer before her passing in January 2021.
Bree was a VOICE Action Squad Member, National Youth Ambassador Award winner for the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids and Fellow for the TRUTH Initiative. She was considered a shining, bright light and inspired many people.
In honoring Bree’s legacy, a VOICE Indiana Youth Ambassador or Core Team Leader was selected to receive the Bree Wilson Youth Advocate of the Year Award Scholarship for their hard work, passion and commitment to pursuing health equity for all Hoosiers.
The winner of the award was recent New Palestine High School graduate Brenna Bastin. With Bree’s family, over 20 members of the NPHS VOICE team, State Senator Mike Crider and other state officials on hand, Bastin told the crowd she was honored to receive the award.
“I started in VOICE my freshman year and we had a handful of members, but through time we’ve recruited so many more for this cause and I’m proud of that,” Bastin said. “It’s great to see how much this program has grown.”
Bastin, who plans to study Public Health Education and Promotion at the University of Indianapolis this fall said she’ll never stop warning young people about the dangers of tobacco and vaping.
“I’m planning on being part of the VOICE alumni network and stay in touch with the New Palestine group and help in anyway I can,” she said.
While Bastin has won several state and national tobacco fighting awards, she noted winning the Bree Wilson Youth Advocate of the Year Award Scholarship is special because Bree was such a great person.
“There needs to be an award given in her name because she was such an inspiration,” Bastin said. “Winning this really does bring a tear to my eye because she had so much passion for the cause, the same as I do.”
The $1,000 scholarship is meant to recognize and empower the next generation of youth advocates and change-makers by awarding a VOICE Indiana youth leader who is making a long-lasting difference in their local community through service, leadership, and creative advocacy efforts.
One of Hancock Regional Health’s physicians, Mike Fletcher spoke at the ceremony and noted he’s seen first-hand the devastation of tobacco use and reminded everyone Hancock County has always been a leader in combating tobacco abuse.
“We’ve prioritized this issue over decades,” Fletcher said. “We were the first hospital in Indiana that banned smoking in the hospital and throughout the campus thanks to the leadership of (Dr. Robert C. Keen) Bobby Keen, a tobacco coalition was formed.”
Through positive youth development, youth leaders are trained to take action at the local level to create sustainable change in their communities and to partner with adult allies to implement youth-designed activism activities addressing prominent and emerging tobacco issues.
Bastin and the Hancock County VOICE team has addressed state leaders during legislative sessions imploring them to stop tobacco companies from targeting youth. It’s a fight Bastin said will continue.
“I love being part of the VOICE team and it’s going to be hard to walk away from the high school group, but I’ll jump in while I’m in college and continue the cause when and where I can,” Bastin said. “I love to see positive change in the community.”
Bastin is the daughter of Brandee Bastin who is the Tobacco Initiative Coordinator for Hancock Regional Health and she noted following in her mom’s footsteps is easy because it’s such a great cause.
