Local Teen Wins Anti-vaping Art Contest With Powerful Message

A Dutchess County High School student is in the spotlight for turning an anti-vaping awareness into a powerful piece of art.

County Executive Sue Serino and the Dutchess County Department of Health announced that 16-year-old Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School junior Fayza Sekatawa has won the county’s first-ever “Escape the Vape” Anti-Vaping Art Contest.

The initiative, created in partnership with Dutchess BOCES and The Art Effect, invited middle and high school students across Dutchess County to create original artwork highlighting the dangers of vaping.

Sekatawa’s winning entry, a storyboard concept featuring recognizable local imagery- like the Mid-Hudson Bridge, stood out for its emotional impact, creativity, and strong message aimed directly at teens. Judges praised the project for its ability to connect with young audiences in a meaningful way.

As part of her prize, Sekatawa will receive a paid summer internship with The Art Effect, where she’ll help transform her concept into a professionally produced video campaign that will air locally and across social media platforms.

“Dutchess County congratulates Fayza and all the students who took part in this year’s ‘Escape the Vape’ art contest,” Serino said. “By sharing their artistic talents, they helped spread the important message with teens that vaping is dangerous.”

Sekatawa was officially recognized during the PKX Festival in Poughkeepsie on April 24. The annual youth arts and media festival features live performances, interactive exhibits, and student-created media projects from around the Hudson Valley.

Dutchess County Health Commissioner Dr. Livia Santiago-Rosado said youth voices are critical in the fight against vaping.

“Vaping poses real risks to teens, and when students speak directly to their peers through art, the message resonates in a way that adults alone cannot achieve,” Santiago-Rosado said.

The “Escape the Vape” contest is part of a larger countywide effort to combat youth vaping, funded through New York State’s settlement with JUUL Labs