Youth for the Future: Jonah Sanabria
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Monument Mountain Regional High School student Jonah Sanabria has been selected as our March Youth for the Future.
Youth for the Future is a 12-month series that honors young individuals that have made an impact on their community. This year's sponsor is Patriot Car Wash. Nominate a youth here.
The 15-year-old Jonah was recently honored for winning the Congressional App Challenge for the 1st Massachusetts District.
Over the summer, Jonah and his dad, Juan Sanabria, noticed the Congressional App Challenge on his school's website and decided to try it.
His father said they had been having talks in the family about their recent health visits and it struck a chord with Jonah.
"I , and my wife, have just been sort of dealing with going to the doctor more, and trying to kind of retain everything, and also as caregivers of older parents trying to manage and retain their visits as well. Manage and retain our kids visits as well," Juan Sanabria said. "And so I think we've been kind of talking about what's the best way to do it? Should you just have a lot of notes, and how can you kind of advocate for yourself and for the ones that you take care of.
"So I think sitting around as a family, and we talk about these issues, and we talk about what AI is potentially capable of. And so this was sort of an ongoing dialog with no clear solution."
Jonah said his app, Health Advocate, addresses the issue of patients having unanswered questions.
"Sometimes when people go to the doctor, they have questions that they want to ask, but just because of the environment, they don't end up asking those questions mostly because they're feeling things like stress or anxiety or other things," he said. "So the app makes sure that you ask those questions, and it also allows you to get a better understanding of your appointment after your appointment, so you can really leave your appointment with a good understanding."
His father helped Jonah develop the concept and he said they had a great time doing it together.
"We took a look at what was required for the app challenge and what was needed, and it was just most important thing we focused on was clear ideas and put something together that has really clear purpose and clear idea," said Sanabria. "I was an adviser, and Jonah is very independent and motivated to do his stuff, so it's always fun to work with him."
In January, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal visited his school to award him his certificate for winning the challenge. His friends and family were in attendance.
"It was such an honor. It was really cool to meet Congressman Richard Neal, and I think a lot of my peers and teachers were, and especially my family were really proud of me, so that was really nice," Jonah said.
His father said he admires his son for taking the time to think about the challenges people may face and contribute to those around him.
"I'm a little biased, I'm his dad so I think the world of him, and I think the concept is really important for when a high school student or young people can start thinking about the outside world and what's going on. What are issues? What are people challenged with?" he said. "And so I really admire Jonah for taking on and being part of that discussion and trying to make a contribution. It's a contribution that, however small, can really grow.
"Here in the Berkshires, there's not a lot of people, but a lot of the people that are here deal with the same issues that people deal with everywhere. And I hope that this project will grow legs and that Jonah will be recognized for his contribution of it."
Not only is Jonah busy in school and with the app, but he also has been a ski instructor and member of the ski team, and is on the ultimate Frisbee team as well. He also has his own business, selling cotton candy at events including birthday parties. His business is called Local Fluff, which you can find on Instagram.
Jonah said that although the app is not currently working, he plans to finish it and make it available.
"We're looking to release the app soon, and hopefully it's able to make a large positive impact in the health-care industry and really help a lot of people," he said.
Tags: MMRHS, Youth for the Future,
