"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others." ~Martin Luther King Jr

I am DeQuandra’ Rankins, currently a Public Health major at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. I am a youth peer leader and educator with Youth Empowered Advocating for Health (YEAH) is a group of youth and adults raising awareness about the experiences of minority youth and the impact on health. YEAH is led by two Peer Leaders with adult support and provides training for youth in research, advocacy and leadership development. Focusing on advocating youth in Raleigh, YEAH has worked to raise the voices of a group of community members often absent from the policymaking process. YEAH has three objective such has raising awareness of racial stereotypes and their impact on youth behavior, strengthening neighborhoods that experience high rates of STI’s, and increasing youth involvement in risk behavior prevention activities

As well as being a youth peer leader in my own community, I am the current president of a national group, the Community-Based Public Health Caucus (CBPH Youth Council. Founded by the CBPH Caucus in 2010, the Youth Council (YC) provides a national voice for youth to focus on addressing a variety of public health issues such as exercise and nutrition, sexual health, and emotional well–being. Our goal is to support young people as leaders who will work to eliminate health disparities and promote social justice in their communities and around the world. I have been involved with the YC for five years.