By Aleah Stigall, former member of the Health Youth Ambassadors

Aleah shared the following speech as the opening of the 2026 Town Hall on Kids in the Capitol Education Center at the annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol.

Welcome to this year’s Children’s Advocacy Day Town Hall on Kids! I am Aleah Stigall, a senior at Boyle County High School.

From a young age, I was raised to advocate for myself, especially as a student with a learning disability. This advocacy slowly grew into something bigger than myself. I knew I could use my voice to advocate for my entire generation, as well as those with disabilities who struggled to advocate for themselves.

However, it is essential to point out that if it were not for my teachers, mentors, or parents advocating for me, I would not have received the help I needed in school.

This is where you come in! Children are our future. They will carry on the goals, successes, and even the failures that you leave behind. As you make decisions, keep my peers and me at the forefront of your mind.

I have been able to establish my own nonprofit business, Disconnect To Connect – Let’s Get Real, where I educate others on the importance of real relationships with real people, without technology. I have been able to see and understand the toll technology, specifically social media, is taking on my generation. In almost every elementary school classroom I visit, almost every child has a phone or some sort of device within their reach.

My initiative just so happens to align with one of this year’s Blueprint priorities, detailing how “Kentucky should support positive youth development through incoming social media settlement dollars.” Data shows that one in six children in Kentucky are diagnosed with depression or anxiety. And we know that social media usage contributes to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges experienced by teens.

I’m eager to see how Representative Moser’s House Bill 686 can support youth mental health and positive youth programming – and that can only happen with it passing the General Assembly this session.

Advocacy does not end once you exit this room! It carries into every aspect of your life.

Through the Miss Kentucky Opportunity, I have witnessed and learned from the titleholders around me, all advocating for a cause they are passionate about. My passion for connection pushes me to advocate for the health and safety of the present and future generations.

So, find your passion! Use your voice! And vote in favor of Kentucky Kids!

Thank you to our 2026 CAD Youth Engagement sponsor Trager Family Foundation.