Keira McLintock Honored as Distinguished TUPE Youth Health Advocate

Published May 23, 2025

On Wednesday, May 21, the San Mateo County Office of Education recognized Keira McLintock as the 2025 Distinguished TUPE (Tobacco Use Prevention Education) Youth Health Advocate. A graduating senior, Keira has spent the past five years championing youth health and tobacco prevention across San Mateo County and beyond.

Keira’s advocacy journey began in eighth grade, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I wanted to be involved in my school while we were quarantined,” she recalled. “I’d grown up seeing a lot of tobacco use at my middle school, and I heard a lot about tobacco use in high school. Both of my dad’s parents smoked from a young age, so he grew up with a lot of health issues because of that secondhand smoke, so I knew tobacco use prevention was something I wanted to advocate for.”

She joined her school’s Youth Advisory Group (YAG), working closely with two adult mentors. That early experience sparked a passion that grew throughout high school. As a freshman, Keira spoke at a Pacifica City Council meeting in support of a ban on flavored tobacco products, which ended up passing.

Since then, Keira has served on multiple councils, including the Tobacco Education Coalition’s YAG, the TUPE Orange County/California Council, and the Catch My Breath Youth Council. She also completed a TUPE internship with the County Office of Education, where she developed a year-long calendar of resources for students, parents, and educators. She also educated her peers at Aragon High School about the health effects of tobacco and the marketing tactics used by tobacco companies.

Keira’s work is grounded in the belief that youth voices matter. “The youth voice is really powerful. It’s a lot more powerful than we think,” she said. “When young people care so much about a topic, it kind of forces people to listen in a way that they didn’t before.”

She also emphasized the importance of peer-to-peer education. “Students tend to listen to their peers much more than adults,” she explained. “Hearing this information from someone on their level that they can connect with is more powerful.”

Looking ahead, Keira plans to double major in biology and psychology to become a genetic counselor – a career goal that was inspired by her work in tobacco advocacy.

As for her legacy, Keira hopes her work will inspire others to get involved. “I’m super hopeful that my district’s Youth Advisory Group and the larger ones—like the California-wide and U.S.-wide groups—will continue to grow and connect with more people,” she said. “And I hope more students will join and continue the work.”