04/21/2026
Building Utah Youth wants to spotlight past grads who are out there creating big ripples! Today we are spotlighting .nilson who has created quite the impact with and . This is what Paislee had to say about her experience. (Watch for updates as we are partnering with Paislee and the for a blood donation drive)
“Building Utah Youth honestly changed me in ways I didn’t expect. I went into it already being a social person, but it pushed me way further. I gained real confidence, like the kind where I can walk into a room and talk to anyone, present to business owners, and actually believe in what I’m saying. It taught me how to push myself harder than I ever have and get comfortable being uncomfortable. It even gave me the courage to switch schools and branch out, which led me to meeting so many different kinds of people and making friendships I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
The reason I originally did the camp was because my dad, Jed, had taken the adult classes, and Bret Johnston is one of our close family friends who encouraged me to go. I took the class at Daniel Summit with my mom in August 2024, shortly after my cousin Sally passed away. She was 16, just six months older than me, and she passed in a car accident along with her dad, my Uncle Richard. It completely rocked my world. Building Utah Youth came at a time when I needed something to help me process everything, and it ended up giving me a way to turn that pain into something meaningful.
Because of that experience, I was able to take such a hard situation and turn it into motivation. That’s what led me to starting Hearts for Hope alongside my co-candidate, Marilyn Van Wagoner. Hearts for Hope is a campaign with Blood Cancer United focused on raising money and awareness for blood cancer patients. We’ve raised $126,083 so far, and now we’re pushing toward our new goal of $150,000 before June 30th.”
(Continued in comments)
