Our Members
We currently have 12 YAFT members that represent 6 different counties and 6 different campuses within the Gold Country of California. Our members are dedicated to helping underserved communities and fighting against the negative impacts of tobacco within rural areas. We are always looking for new members!
President - Fareha Moulana Zada
Fareha Moulana Zada is a student majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology at University of California, Berkeley. In 2019, volunteering for the Great American Smokeout day event during her first semester at Modesto Junior College inspired her to engage in community activism. That day, she was surprised to see how many students used tobacco. Challenging smokers on the campus to quit smoking for 24 hours and listening to their stories helped her know about the suffering caused by tobacco use. Soon after discovering that her community college is not a smoke-free campus, she joined the Smoke-Free campus Task Force and started working as an intern for California Health Collaborative. Through this internship, she had the opportunity to learn about environmental and health impacts of tobacco use. Fareha is interested in advocating for change in rural and underserved areas where communities are at a higher risk of tobacco use. Through her work alongside other inspiring young adults, she hopes to advocate for a healthy community and environment and initiate a positive change. She is currently the President of Young Adults Fighting Tobacco coalition, where she helps increase engagement in tobacco control advocacy among young adults and raises awareness about the effects of tobacco use.
Vice President - Morgan Haydock
Morgan Haydock is a student majoring in biology and public health at Sacramento City College. Her first experience with activism was with an environmental justice organization. She started working with YAFT after discovering that her college was not a smoke free campus. She has continued to work with community colleges to develop smoke free policies that better protect their students. Through YAFT she became interested in tobacco policy and environmental justice. She hopes to continue working on passing tobacco policies that will help improve the health of communities most impacted by smoking.
Policy Chair - John Hire
Johnny PD Hire is a cabinet member for the Young Adults Fighting Tobacco Coalition serving as the current policy chair. He joined YAFT in 2020 as an intern while serving as a student senator at Columbia College who, because of his own personal struggles with addiction and the hardening of his political views in light of the expansion of poverty in this country, saw YAFT as a vehicle for cultural and policy change regarding the treatment of addiction and the rights of the environment. With the YAFT coalition, Johnny worked with the organization's president to formulate policy and organizational tactics so that YAFT can continue and expand its work in crafting public policy and the defense of the rights of former- and non-smokers. In addition to this advisory role, he also helps run the Gen Green podcast, provides public comments, speaks to high schools on tobacco and drug education, and participates in YAFT-sponsored clean ups. Outside of YAFT, Johnny works a seasonal job in landscaping and industrial cleaning and, during the academic year, work at a local grocery store. When he is not working, Johnny volunteers for local social services like Food Not Bombs and housing and food programs with his local church.
Secretary - Alexis Trejo
Alexis Trejo is currently attending Modesto Junior College for her A.S. in biological sciences and plans on transferring to California State University-Stanislaus. Alexis joined YAFT in 2022 with a passion to focus on environmental issues and the importance of why tobacco can be harmful. Since she’s joined YAFT, she has gotten to experience opportunities that helped her gain more leadership skills while helping out her community with events such as our Riverbank Clean-Up. Alexis can't wait to do many more amazing opportunities with YAFT in the future!
Treasurer - Bruno Macias
Bruno Macias lives in Stateline, NV. He recently graduated from Lake Tahoe Community College and is now attending the University of Nevada, Reno to pursue his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Bruno aspires to become an entrepreneur in the future. Bruno is currently an program assistant for the California Health Collaborative and became a member of YAFT in 2022.
Alumni - Jennifer Vitt
Jennifer Vitt is an alumni member with YAFT. Joining in 2020, Jennifer has done numerous tobacco control presentations for youth in her local community, as well as public commentary on issues pertaining to second-hand smoke exposure in multi-unit housing. Jennifer has her BA from Sac State and 2 AA degrees from Folsom Lake Community College. Jennifer feels passionate about tobacco control and reducing Big Tobacco's influence on youth and the environment. Jennifer is also a co-host on the Gen Green Podcast.
YAFT Coordinator - Chelsey King
Chelsey King was born and raised in the small rural town of Ceres located in the Central Valley of California. She recently graduated from California State University, Stanislaus with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She became interested in activism during her first years of college where she was given the opportunity to learn more about environmental justice and public health. Chelsey is passionate about helping rural and disadvantaged communities like the community she grew up in. Chelsey joined YAFT in 2020 to help stop the negative health and environmental impacts generated by the tobacco industry. She currently works for the California Health Collaborative and is a former president of the Young Adults Fighting Tobacco coalition. She is now a coordinator for the coalition, where she is able to help rural communities address the negative impacts caused by the tobacco industry. She is also a co-host on the Gen Green Podcast.