Hi, my name is Adali Welker. I am a 10th grader at Keys High School. I am extremely passionate about Elevate Student Health. Elevate Student Health is a campaign with the organization YAHL, also known as Youth Action for Health Leadership, that works on getting clean water, healthy food and more physical activity in our schools.

One of the ways we work on achieving these goals in our communities is called Swap Up Day, which is where YAHL members will set up a table in their cafeterias and have healthy snack options and games to show how food can be healthy and delicious. Another one of many ways is by setting up a principal or superintendent meeting. Some of my fellow YAHL members and I had a principal meeting with the Keys Elementary principal, and we showed him data from our school and how, while our school has done a great job at improving, there is still a long way to go.

I am so passionate about Elevate Student Health because I have seen the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle paired with no physical activity. My grandpa has had back problems for a lot of his life, and he ended up having to have surgery on his back. The surgery resulted in him being paralyzed from the waist down. After his surgery, he stopped any physical activity and didn’t eat right. That has led to him being in the hospital many times with infections in his bones and other life-threatening conditions.

Elevate Student Health is so important and should be taken very seriously. It can help Oklahomans understand that what they put in their bodies can and will affect them for better or for worse. Through comprehensive wellness policies, Elevate Student Health can help our schools and communities be healthier and make Oklahoma healthier, too.

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By: Adali Welker, Keys High School