Welcome to #iCANendthetrend

Dr. Ickes is an Associate Professor in Health Promotion in the College of Education. She received her PhD from University of Cincinnati in Health Behavior and Health Promotion at University of Cincinnati in 2010. Dr. Ickes has a wealth of experience in tobacco prevention and control, youth empowerment, and intervention research. She serves as the Co-Director of Tobacco Policy for BREATHE in the College of Nursing and is the Director of Tobacco-free Take Action and Go Tobacco-free, efforts to promote evidence-based tobacco policy.

"Using a peer-to-peer model in which middle and high school students are connected with facilitators closer to their age has been invaluable. The college facilitators are role models and reinforce what empowering younger generations can do to make an impact in their community."

Julia is from Memphis, TN and recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Political Science. As program coordinator, her goal is to expand the reach of #iCANendthetrend and discover innovative ways to engage youth.

Gabrielle is from Columbus, Ohio and is a recent graduate from the University of Kentucky. She received her Masters of Public Health in May 2023 and Bachelors of Public Health in May of 2022 both at the University of Kentucky. She is excited to meet students across Kentucky and empower them to find their passions and be their own advocates for change! 

Hannah is a native of Lexington, Kentucky and is currently a graduate student and research assistant for #iCANendthetrend at the University of Kentucky studying health promotion. She received her undergraduate degree in healthcare administration from UK in May 2023. Hannah loves to be able to speak with students across Kentucky and give them the resources to make healthy decisions!

Abby is from London, Kentucky and has been a college facilitator with #iCANendthetrend since November 2021. She is a graduate student at the University of Kentucky obtaining her Masters of Public Health. Abby enjoys traveling across Kentucky to connect and empower students within the state.

Mary Ellen is from Taylorsville, Kentucky, and is a recent graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor's Degree in Health Promotion. She plans to pursue a Masters in Human Sexual Health and Wellness. Mary Ellen joined the #iCANendthertrend team in January of 2023 because she believes that youth should be empowered and well-informed to make happy and healthy decisions in their lives.

Griffin is from Mason, Ohio, and is beginning his first year in UK’s College of Pharmacy. With much prior experience mentoring youth, Griffin joined #iCANendthetrend shortly before 2023 with the goal to guide young people toward a healthy lifestyle. As Youth Advisory Board Coordinator, he enjoys providing dedicated high school leaders an avenue to advocate for change.

"#iCANendthetrend has been the most humbling and rewarding experience. Working with the most passionate, resilient, and hardworking college students, youth, and community partners has taught me valuable lessons I will always carry with me. Public health, specifically youth and tobacco prevention, is the reason I will be a future physician. And the compassion I have grown for prevention and tailored treatment will make me an effective future physician. Giving youth a voice is a domino effect and empowering students empowers the future."

"There is so much to say about my time as a #ICETT Research Assistant from team retreats, sharing research at conferences, and building life-long friendships, but one of the most valuable memories I have is traveling across Kentucky learning from youth themselves. Having the opportunity to speak with youth about their experiences and building on their ideas for empowerment taught me so much about the indomitable, positive influence that youth have within their community. My time with #ICETT led me to continue learning with youth as I am now a 7th grade science teacher. I cannot be more grateful for my experience with the #ICETT team and the joy we shared over the last 4 years!"

“Serving as a #iCANendthetrend college facilitator was one of the most fulfilling parts of my colligate experience. As a team, we engaged with thousands of young Kentuckians and empowered them to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. I had the privilege of starting #iCANendthetrend’s social media pages, which prepared me for the next step in my career – an associate marketing specialist for Ally Financial (Detroit, MI)!”

“#ICETT taught me so much about myself, my state, nicotine prevention and empowerment, and health promotion as a whole. In my time with #ICETT I was able to present to schools all across Kentucky, talk with school staff, meet community members and network with those who are also working in the prevention field. End the Trend really ignited my passion for prevention & empowerment work and public speaking with youth. I currently am the Youth Empowerment and Prevention Specialist with New Vista serving 17 counties! I am forever thankful for #ICETT and everything and everyone it brought me.“

“My time with #iCANendthetrend helped me get in the community and serve. It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of something bigger than myself making a real difference. The community they have fostered is so much more than a work environment, it’s a family. The professional skills I learned while with the team helped me jumpstart my career in marketing and I’m proud to say I’m now working full time with a digital marketing agency.”

“My time at #iCANendthetrend was definitely unforgettable! The incredible people I got to work with and the kids I got to educate truly made it a worthwhile experience☺️ Now that I’m graduated, I’m living in LA working at an advertising agency!"

• "I had the pleasure of working with the #ICETT team while I was in graduate school at the University of Kentucky. As a health advocate and student researcher I worked with the team on a variety of tobacco prevention projects. #ICETT allowed me to travel to conferences to present research findings on how this program impacts Kentucky youth, lead a manuscript development team, and be in the content creation space for their social media and newsletter. I give credit to #ICETT for helping me build my confidence and skills to advocate for HB219, which was recently passed and signed into legislation in July 2022. 
• Background on HB219: HB219, sponsored by Rep. Kim Moser, establishes a lung cancer screening program in the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Working in tobacco prevention is key to catching this disease earlier so that less Kentucky families are impacted.

Thank you, #iCANendthetrend! "

"My time with #iCANendthetrend introduced me to public health and really gave me a passion for the field. I enjoyed learning more about tobacco prevention and awareness through research with the team at ICETT and sharing that information directly with the community. It was always so fun and interesting to interact with the students and community members through the presentations we gave. I'm really thankful to Dr. Ickes and everybody at #iCANendthetrendfor being a great and supportive team. I love seeing the organization continue to grow and do amazing things in their community. 

Currently, I live in Washington and work for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department as a Group Supervisor. I'm also completing the M.S. in Global Studies and International Relations degree program with Northeastern University. I hope to continue working in public health in the future."

​”At #ICETT, I had the chance to help expand our virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic and carry out research to better understand how our program and others can best function to impact young people! Now, I am a student in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.”

Hayley is from Dry Ridge, Kentucky and a law student at the Washington University School of Law. Hayley was crowned Miss Missouri 2023 and works with the 'See the Able, Not the Label' initiative. 

Katie is from Jerseyville, Illinois, and graduated with a Bachelor of Public Health from University of Kentucky in December 2023. Katie has reached over 1,800 students across Kentucky through presentations and many health educators through Professional Development sessions and presenting research at the Kentucky Prevention Network Conference. She also helped prepare and organize registrants for the American Lung Association Advocacy Day. Katie is continuing her education by attending PA school at Southern Illinois University.