Sarah Van Zanten

Palo Alto | 19

2008 Award Recipient

Sarah, as a younger teen, began her advocacy efforts after she found herself in an abusive relationship. When she reported an incident to the police, she was shunned by her peers. She felt a responsibility to help remove the stigma and increase awareness and understanding of abusive relationships, and became a spokesperson against teen dating violence. Sarah spoke extensively with teens and in numerous setting with adults, and has appeared widely in the media, including NBC’s Today show.