Sutherland Student Named American Lung Association Youth Ambassador of the Year

Congratulations to Sutherland High School student Ved Deshmukh who has been named the American Lung Association’s Western NY regional winner of the Youth Ambassador of the Year award, in recognition of his work against tobacco and nicotine use. Ved received this award out of about 140 applicants across the state at a conference at SUNY Oswego on June 30, 2026. 

Earlier in the year, Ved won the Best Topic Presentation Award at the Terra Rochester Fair at Monroe Community College.  In the award-winning presentation, "Clear Lungs, Bright Futures," he shared vaping statistics for middle- and high school students and demonstrated the harmful effects of vaping.

Ved participates in the Reality Check program and continues to educate peers about the danger of tobacco and nicotine use through presentations with groups such as the Boy Scouts. Reality Check is a youth-led initiative that empowers adolescents in New York State to become community leaders and advocates for a tobacco-free community.

Learn more in this news story by WXXI at  https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2026-07-01/local-teens-recognized-for-their-work-against-tobacco-and-nicotine-use