Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contacts: Nelda Leyba Speller, 210-631-0400, nlspeller@ag.tamu.edu
Sayako Seymour, 210-631-0400, sayako.seymour@ag.tamu.edu
Sayako Seymour. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)
SAN ANTONIO — Sayako Seymour is the new 4-H and youth development agent in Bexar County for the Cooperative Extension Program of Prairie View A&M University, part of the Texas A&M University System.
Seymour, who works from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Bexar County, will be responsible for developing and implementing health and wellness education for Bexar County youth, particularly those in limited-resource areas.
“Sayako has extensive experience in creating, distributing and teaching health and wellness curricula and is skilled at collecting and interpreting public health data,” said Nelda Leyba Speller, AgriLife Extension county director, Bexar County. “She also has expertise in recruiting and training volunteers and building community coalitions, which is very important to the success of our educational outreach.
“We know Sayako will be a great addition to our staff and will work diligently to help improve the health and wellness of Bexar County youth.”
Seymour has a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Texas at San Antonio. During her academic career, she won the 2012-13 Rising Star Award at UTSA and was also a recipient of UTSA Fine Arts Scholarship.
Prior to joining AgriLife Extension, Seymour served as a health educator at the non-profit Ware Foundation in Edna, where she created and implemented community health and nutrition classes focused primarily on teens and young adults. She also recruited, trained and directed volunteers along with creating coalitions to assist with initiatives related to public health, safety and nutrition.
Seymour also served as a health program specialist intern with Project Worth in the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, where she helped coordinate and implement health events at YMCA, community centers, schools, parks and other venues. Additionally, she was an assistant program coordinator for the Friday Night Live program at Hardy Oak Elementary in San Antonio, which presents health- and safety-oriented after-school programming to students and parents.
Her earlier experience includes working summers as an assistant activity coordinator at Eiko Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan, where she recruited and trained hospital volunteers and helped create mentally stimulating activities for Alzheimer patients. She also promoted activities and special events to hospital patients and the community.
“I’m really excited to be working with youth and bringing health and wellness education to residents of Bexar County,” Seymour said. “I’m also excited to be helping build awareness for the type and quality of educational outreach Prairie View A&M and AgriLife Extension provide to help improve the quality of life for Texas residents.”
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