Brooklyn teen named metropolitan region’s Youth Advocate of the Year
Brooklyn native Cedric Small was announced this week as the recipient of the Metropolitan Regions Youth Advocate of the Year (YaYa) at a ceremony held in Albany by the state Department of Health, Bureau of Tobacco Control. He was also awarded a special recognition by state Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D-Southeast Brooklyn).
Small is a resident of East New York and is a senior high school student at the School for Human Rights. He is an active member of NYC Smoke-Free Reality Check. Upon high school graduation, Small plans to attend college and become an entrepreneur.
The YaYa Award, sponsored by Reality Check of New York State, honors the outstanding work of youth advocates who have taken the lead using education to reduce tobacco use. These young activists are fighting to protect their peers and their communities from the dangers of smoking through public education, and peer-to-peer training.