Hi, my name is Frankie Linker, and I am a senior at Purcell High School. I have been in the YAHL program for three years now. Over the course of my being in YAHL, I have had many meetings where I have had the opportunity to talk with the principals in my district about replacing or cleaning the water filters, offering more healthy foods and allowing us to put up posters encouraging students to exercise, eat healthy and stay hydrated.

YAHL members at my school collected Elevate Student Health surveys to gauge the opinion of students at our school when it comes to student health. We also asked other questions following one of our principal meetings, where we had the chance to ask students what they liked to eat and what they would eat if it had to be something healthy. We then used that data to mold our cafeteria menu to ensure students had healthy options that they actually wanted to eat. We also offer a salad cart and bottled water at lunch.

Also, during our principal meetings, we encourage principals to support improvements and ensure a comprehensive wellness policy so that students have the opportunity to be healthier. I think that it’s important to make changes to our bad eating habits now, so in the future, everyone can be healthy. I know that obesity, diabetes and heart problems run on both sides of my family from eating unhealthy food. I want to change that for myself and others, so the future generations of Oklahoma can be happy and healthy.

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By: Frankie Linker, Luther High School