Aspen Brinkerhoff, Spanish Fork High School, recognized by National PTA as Student Advocate of the Year 2023
Aspen Brinkerhoff was recently recognized by the National PTA as the 2022-23 Student Advocate of the Year for her years of service, leadership, and efforts to advocate for other students at her school, community, and state.
Aspen Brinkerhoff is a Senior at Spanish Fork High School and will be graduating in May. Aspen has been a force for good in her school ever since her involvement with the Utah PTA Student Leadership Committee beginning in 2018. She has served as Chair of the Student Leadership Committee several times and has been an advocate for Utah Students in many capacities.
Aspen has helped create state-level leadership development events, Student Day at the Capitol, Battle of the Bands, and many service projects. In addition she has helped create resources for Safe Driving Week, Healthy Relationships Month and the Forces for Good Award to recognize students and others who have made a difference in their school and community. She was even able to help draft and present a resolution of appreciation from the students to the Utah House and Senate in the 2020 Legislative Session.
Aspen is always finding new ways to give service to those around her. During the pandemic she helped distribute food with the Utah Food Bank and in 2022, she shared the idea to open a school food pantry to serve hungry students at Spanish Fork High School. Aspen's teacher, Mrs.Krissy Fry, and other students worked to fill the pantry and students were able to access food resources before it officially opened. Classmates prepared grab-and-go food kits to sustain students over weekends and longer vacation breaks, in addition to creating snack kits to help when lunch or dinner isn't available.
Aspen has also been involved in other advocacy roles in other organizations including the Utah Representative for the FEMA Region 8 Youth Preparedness Council, Utah Stand-4-Kind Ambassador, Utah D.A.R.E Youth Advocacy Board Ambassador, Spanish Fork Youth City Council, Spanish Fork High School FCCLA Historian, and OUTRAGE! Youth Advocacy and Tobacco Prevention Group. She also has served with the Envision Utah Youth Leadership Committee, Utah She-Tech Student Board, Renegade Leadership Team Leader, FEAST Utah Development Committee, and Girls Who Code Project Leader.
About the Award
The Outstanding Youth Advocate of the Year Award is awarded annually to one young person (defined as someone under 18, or still in high school at the time of nomination) who exemplifies the qualities of creativity, leadership, and dedication, and has positively affected policy or change in his or her school or community in a way that aligns with PTA’s mission and goals. The youth individual must be a member of a PTA or PTSA
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