About
This program and website were created in collaboration with a group of 10 teen and young adult leaders who care about the sexual health of our community. We hope this website will help sexually active teens and young adults find the help they need at a clinic that’s right for them.
Youth Leadership Team: (L to R) Jessie, Simone, Grace Y, Janiru, Lauren, Michelle, Lane’e, Grace W. (Not pictured are Sara and Hassan).
Grace Yang
My name is Grace Yang and I am from Brooklyn Park, MN. I chose to be a part of this project because I care about the teens in our community. I wanted to be involved in something that would help our youth make good decisions, no matter how hard they are. Through this project, I wanted to empower teens to take that first step towards taking care of their health!
Janiru Herath
My name is Janiru Herath and I’m originally from South Jersey. I’m all about large-scale, tangible ways to make a difference, and this campaign fit right in with my passion for public health, youth empowerment, and community engagement!
Lanee Johnson
My name is Lanee Johnson and I am from Minneapolis. I am passionate about this project because I believe that it is very important for young adults who are sexually active to know the many ways in which they can protect themselves from the many unwelcomed side effects of sex, and how to be safe.
Jessie Toye-Thompson
My name is Jessie Toye-Thompson, and I went to high school in Mankato, Minnesota. This campaign is important to me for multiple reasons, one of which is my passion for keeping teens sexually healthy and safe. I also happen to have quite a few friends who have started families young, and wish to pass on the information on to younger teens that there are ways to have fun while still being safe. I want to be a labor and delivery nurse, and hope to see more teens and young adults coming in with questions, instead of embryos.
Michelle Wheeler
My name is Michelle Wheeler, and I was raised in New Brighton, MN. I care about this project because sexual health advocacy has played a very influential role in my life. I have worked as a sexual health peer-educator and volunteered as a patient educator at the Family Tree Clinic in St. Paul.
Simone Simpson
My name is Simone Simpson, and I'm from the heart of Minneapolis. It is my goal to help spread awareness and teach others how to contribute to the community. I enjoyed serving on the board for the MySelfMyHealth project!
Grace Ward
My name is Grace and I am originally from Memphis, TN, and graduated from Cooper High School in Robbinsdale, MN. The reason I care about this project is because it shows and demonstrates involvement in and out of the community about health awareness. I loved learning professional skills from the professionals I worked with. I enjoyed EVERY MINUTE of my time working on this project!
Lauren Canales Salgado
I am Lauren R. Canales (Salgado). I am Latina from Minneapolis and attended Washburn High School. I am very passionate about sexual health and want to pursue my education/career in public health. I believe that this subject is important to talk about, be educated about, and be an advocate for. It is an amazing feeling knowing I've helped youth and young adults feel open to be themselves, starting with what’s important, one’s health!
Hassan Sankoh
My name is Hassan Sankoh. I was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. I chose to be a part of this campaign because as a pre-med student looking to make a career in health sciences, I felt as though this experience would help me learn more about teens and their sexual health.
