John,

Meet Thania Balcorta.

As a 2005 Youth Advocate of the Year, Thania worked closely with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and went before Congress to advocate for tobacco control legislation. This life-changing experience showed her the power of the youth voice and inspired her to pursue a career serving her community as a police officer for the City of Fremont, California. Today, she hopes to inspire the next generation of youth advocates to serve their communities and empower young people to create change as an adult ally.

“Having a voice as a young person showed me that I wanted to dedicate my life to public service..”

As part of our year-long 25th anniversary celebration, our Voices in the Fight profile series showcases the incredible power of advocates we've worked with over the years. Look out for a new profile every other Wednesday through May 2022.

–The Tobacco-Free Kids team