Jazmyn McKoy ’17 leading youth activists on a Capitol Hill visit as part of her internship experience at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Having the privilege of bringing together two keen interests of the Shacknai family, we were able to work with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to establish a paid summer internship for a student involved in the Max A. Shacknai COVE at TFK. Jazmyn McKoy ’17 held the internship this summer. Jazmyn, an international relations and music double major, founded her own non-profit, Heart of Tabitha, dedicated to providing young ladies in the D.C., area, experiencing economic and/or situational difficulties, with free clothing, shoes, and other essentials such as supplies for school. Jazmyn is also a regular COVE volunteer at a local group home for young women who are facing difficult family circumstances.
McKoy shared her experiences at TFK. “I worked on the Shining the Light Project to capture over 100 advertisements targeting children by a variety of tobacco companies that will remain in Shining the Light’s research and monitoring database. This project exposed me to the range of products, strategies, and tactics that tobacco companies use to attract customers and entice kids. As the Youth Advocacy intern, I joined TFK’s Youth Advocacy team in efforts to plan a four-day symposium to provide training workshops and lobbying opportunities for 26 youths from 20 states across the nation. We hosted a successful and smoothly run event providing young leaders with skills to be change leaders in local tobacco control! I also had the opportunity to join the youth during visits with Senate and House representatives and staff on Capitol Hill as the youth lobbied for legislation to continue to advocate for tighter controls on tobacco. Throughout my time at TFK, I learned so much from sitting in on meetings with the director and staff. I will apply what I have learned about well-operated organizations and events to the non-profit I started a few years ago, Heart of Tabitha Foundation, and I will treasure the friendships I formed with TFK colleagues.”