New York State is honoring Taylor Locke with the 2025 ‘What’s Great in our State’ Youth/Young Adult Award, which recognizes those young New Yorkers with lived experience who have taken their personal mental health knowledge and experiences to make a difference in their community. Locke was presented the award Tuesday during the event in Albany and celebrated for using lived experience to amplify the voices of youth and young adults, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community.

“Taylor’s advocacy for young people living with mental illness truly exemplifies the spirit of ‘What’s Great in Our State’ and our efforts to reach young New Yorkers,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “By advocating for youth and young adults in the LGBTQ+ community, Taylor serves as a true inspiration for all of us.”

Locke is a certified connections peer mentor with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and has led support groups for college students, victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and LGBTQ+ youth. Prior to graduating with honors from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Locke organized the 2024 Capital Region Mental Health Week Program in collaboration with 11 local universities and more than 100 health and human service organizations, offering more than 65 individual events.

Locke previously served as a program director at Unity House of Troy, working to prevent gang and gun violence among youth in local K-12 schools. Locke is also co-chair for Capital Region Campus Response Network, a coalition of local sexual violence educators and Title IX coordinators to collaborate on prevention and education programs.

"I want to dedicate this award to all the youth and young adults in New York State who are struggling with mental illness, as I once did, and to remind them that they are not alone,” Locke said. “I am deeply committed to advocating for all who need support, and together, we can build a future where mental health is prioritized, and every young person feels empowered to seek the help they deserve."

Established in 2010, ‘What’s Great in Our State’ recognizes individuals and programs that are successfully advancing the cause of children’s mental health in New York and is celebrated annually during Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. The day-long conference in Albany features a ceremony recognizing honorees, in-person and virtual workshops, and an art show featuring artwork created by children receiving services from New York State’s mental health system.

The event is sponsored by the state Office of Mental Health, Department of Health, Department of Education, Office of Children and Family Services and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports. In addition, several children’s mental health advocacy organizations sponsor the event, including the Council on Children and Families, the Early Care & Learning Council, Families Together in New York State, Inc., Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc., National Alliance on Mental Illness - New York State, New York State Network for Youth Success, Prevent Child Abuse New York, and the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.