Ski Town Media’s fall intern is Madison Mohn. Madison is a senior at Steamboat Springs High School and is an avid writer. She is passionate about giving back to our community and was named Yampa Valley Community Foundation’s 2024 Youth Philanthropist of the Year. She’s also the co-producer of two professional musicals, “Reefer Madness” and “Burlesque,” and she loves to travel. We chatted with Madison about her recent award.

Steamboat Magazine: Tell us about the award that you recently won and a little bit about the work that you’ve done in the community.

Madison Mohn: I am honored to have received the Yampa Valley Community Foundation’s award for the 2024 Youth Philanthropist of the Year. I am passionate about giving back to my community, especially through the lens of youth mental health, because of the need I see around me within the Yampa Valley. I recognize the need within our community for accessible resources and open mental health discussion – this drives me to make a difference and support these resources in any way that I can. I have had the privilege of working alongside and supporting 14 nonprofits within our community, including Brighter World Child Advocacy Center, Steamboat Springs School District, Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide, and Queer Futures.

SM: What achievement are you most proud of and why?

MM: In my philanthropic journey, I am very proud of all the work I have done with the Steamboat Springs School District. Youth in our public schools often struggle to find accessible and affordable mental health resources, a need that I have seen firsthand through attending Steamboat Springs High School. I am proud of the work I have done with the school district to bring mental health to the forefront of youth discussion and to provide free resources. I have funded the Preventative Social & Emotional Screening tool for the middle and high schools as a way to gather accurate mental health data, funded the implementation of the Hope Squad in the public high school to get students involved with suicide prevention and awareness, and I am most proud of funding a therapist in the public high school for two years to provide students and their families with free, trained therapists.

SM: What is it about philanthropy that is important to you?

MM: Philanthropy is important to me because it is the act of caring for those around you. Philanthropy is empathizing with others, recognizing needs that go beyond your own, and having the determination to go out of your way and make a difference. Philanthropy dedicated toward youth mental health is especially important to me because the more I learned about mental health in the Yampa Valley, such as our location in the suicide belt, the more my passion has grown for making a difference. When I was younger, I was blinded to Steamboat’s faults due to the perceived perfection of our resort town, yet as I’ve grown older I have seen more and more how living in such a small town can have harmful consequences. The need for mental health and abuse resources was apparent throughout countless facets of my life, sparking my motivation to partner with local mental health nonprofits and provide Steamboat's youth with the support they need.

SM: Do you have more philanthropic plans in the future?

MM: I plan to continue giving back in the future by growing my foundation and expanding its outreach. I am constantly striving to find nonprofits which address youth mental health needs in our community and do all that I can to foster the growth and accessibility of mental health resources. My journey with The Madison Foundation is far from over, and I see these past few years as stepping stones to even greater philanthropic involvement in the future. Giving back to my community has become an integral part of my life and my love for philanthropy will persist throughout the coming years.