November 6, 2025
The Healthy Teen Network Visionary Award honors forward-thinking, insightful, and proactive individuals or organizations committed to innovative approaches in adolescent sexual and reproductive health education and care.
Visionaries dream of the endless possibilities in education, health care, technology, and policy, ensuring that what young people learn, experience, and discover about sexuality is relevant, timely, and inspiring.
Anticipating the needs of the ever-changing lives of young people and creating holistic solutions with young people that cultivate equity, reduce health disparities, and are inclusive and affirming are at the core of the Healthy Teen Network Visionary Award.
Last month, at the Healthy Teen Network annual conference in Atlanta, we presented Natasha Ramsey, MD, MPH, FAAP, with the 2025 Visionary Award. In her acceptance, Natasha shared about her work:
I want to spend this time to thank Healthy Teen Network for putting together this beautiful conference and for this award.
I want to tell you a little more about myself. The name “Gorjus” was a nickname I gave myself in middle school. Remember gel pens? Yeah, I would doodle it all over my notebooks. I loved the creative arts—writing and drawing, which led to me joining the Sex Etc. teen magazine and website. That sent me down a trajectory that has led me to where I am today.
Sexual health educators who challenge me to be better every day. Special shout-out to Steph from the SLAM conference. That was what opened my world up to the sex ed space.
Our community is very strong, and we pour into the young people who we work with.
Medical community/the adolescent medicine community: Our community is very strong, and we pour into the young people who we work with—my mentors and colleagues who show up for youth in clinical spaces when other people do not.
Business community: For teaching me how to translate my passion into tangible goals and into capital, which is important for continuing this work.
My coworkers: For caring for and supporting me on a daily basis, when I’m tired, haven’t eaten, when I’m struggling, or sick.
My friends who really are my family and have been there from day one to watch my business and organization bloom and grown and who supported me every step of the way.
My family for pushing me and always having my back. I FaceTimed my dad this morning before this, and he approved of my outfit. He wanted me to tell you all, “Big up.”
Most importantly, I want to thank the young people for continuing to inspire me and for fueling this work.
Most importantly, I want to thank the young people for continuing to inspire me and for fueling this work.
This to me is one of the most prestigious awards I could have ever received. It reflects my commitment to the youth, my commitment to the streets—the people on the ground.
We are in hard times.
That means young people need us to show up for them even more than before.
I remember little Tasha, aka Gorjus, who loved to draw, what I needed growing up, and the community that lifted me up.
Remember the power you hold—you could be that person for the young people you work with.
And we must also remember to show up for ourselves and each other.
We talked a lot about solidarity during this conference. We cannot do this work alone. We must call on our ancestors, align and unite across sectors, race, class, and location.
I am eternally grateful for this award and can honestly say I feel like I have so much support, love, and beauty around me.
PHOTOS BY: GINA DESIDERIO
