Heather MayThe pride in being a “farm kid.” The devastation and resilience after a wildfire. The duty to vote, to serve, to protest.
This is what we heard when we asked Utah teens to share their vision of the American dream.
Too often, parents, teachers and politicians speak about or for young people, in policy circles and in the media. We need to hear more directly from them.
And now you can: Read and see their reflections on America in words, photos and videos on our special site, sltrib.com/america-250.
It’s the result of a months-long effort launched by The Salt Lake Tribune and our partners Spy Hop and Amplify Utah with financial support from the American Journalism Project. The site will be updated as we add more perspectives.
When the project is complete, winners from each of Utah’s 29 counties will be published. We reached out to schools, libraries, youth councils, 4-H and Boys and Girls clubs, and more. We appreciate how these trusted partners spread the word to get teens involved.
Teachers, advisors and even a mayor sought out students they thought would be interested. A teacher in Kanab used the prompt for a larger assignment to allow students to research their family heritage.
(Chris Caldwell | Special to The Tribune) Salt Lake Tribune reporter Brooke Larsen meets with students in Josh Baird's class at Kanab High School Sept. 23, 2026. They submitted work for the Tribune's America 250 contest.
I asked the winners what they hoped to accomplish and what it means to have a statewide audience. Here are some responses:
“I hope to bring Chinese transcontinental railroad workers to life. … [E]ven though these men sound and look different from us, they too have families, homes, and lives to sing about,” said Sean Yamada, who wrote about their often overlooked contributions to Utah and America’s history. This project “gives kids like me an opportunity to tell my story, and it is evidence that no voice ever goes unheard in our state.”
“I have been so grateful to be able to share my opinions in the hope that it can touch someone else’s life in any way that these opinions have shaped my own perspective and choices,” said Emma Dart, a senior from Helper. She wants teens to “understand the deep importance of loving who they are rather than what they may be expected to become.”
“Young voices provide some of the most interesting and thought-provoking opinions, and they deserve to be highlighted,” said Andrew Madsen, a senior from Fairview, who wrote about the similarities between Mormon pioneers and modern immigrants. “[B]oth groups want what is best for them and their family. I hope that by reading my story, people will think twice about their negative thoughts on immigrants.”
John Alley Jr., a senior from Bountiful who wrote about what he views as his duty to protest, hopes that readers will disagree with him.
“I want people, especially youth, who are hesitant about taking action to know that they don’t need to wait for anyone’s permission. I hope some who read my essay disagree with the premise of my action, but see that they can stand for what they believe in just as well as I.”
And Sloan Chase, the editor in chief of her Provo high school newsroom, hopes to counteract the pessimism some people have when thinking about teens today. “I wanted to show that we can work hard, listen to each other, and do good. I also wanted to show the importance of the press and being able to share opinions and criticize the systems we live in.”
Teachers have told the winners they are using their pieces to teach their students. While Tribune articles are normally unavailable after 30 days without a membership, this journalism will remain free to read. If you are an educator who wants to use the essays with your students, please let us know — it helps inform our future work. Email me at hmay@sltrib.com.
We gave winners $100, plus mentorship — meetings with professionals to refine their writing and learn about storytelling, ethics and whatever questions they have.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tribune reporter Samantha Moilanen speaks with a student from Juab High School in Nephi, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.
“We also talked about battling an age where media is labeled as fake news and how to discern opinions from facts and responsible sourcing. Especially now with AI adding to mistrust, and how it is our job as journalists to combat that,” said Tribune reporter Samantha Moilanen.
The contest is part of The Tribune’s larger efforts to work with teens to share what it means to grow up in Utah during a time of rapid social and economic changes, like our special projects with Highland, Kearns and North Sanpete high schools.
We are still seeking submissions from Daggett, Duchesne, Garfield, Grand, Morgan, Piute, Summit Wasatch and Wayne counties. You can submit here.
