Hundreds gathered in yellow at the American Fork Amphitheater on Tuesday, July 28 to honor Brynn Carnesecca, a 21-year-old journalist and nonprofit founder from the Cedar Hills and American Fork area who died Sunday, July 26.
Her mother, Michele Carnesecca, told KSL that her daughter had lived with a mental health disorder and asked the community to remember Brynn for the life she lived, not the circumstances of her death.
That life included founding Envelopes of Hope, a pen-pal nonprofit that works with the Utah Department of Corrections to match volunteers with incarcerated Utahns. Carnesecca launched the program in summer 2024 as her community service initiative for the Miss American Fork competition, after a California-based prison pen-pal organization declined to expand to Utah. She built her own.
Carnesecca described the program's impact in a September 2025 KSTU interview, as reported by KSL: "I've seen so many lives change and how much empathy and connection can be built through these letters. As we reach out through this program, our worldview expands, and I've seen some amazing friendships take shape."
Utah houses just over 6,000 inmates. When the program launched in August 2024, Carnesecca told the Daily Herald she was anticipating thousands of inmates to write in and that the program did not yet have enough volunteers.
How to volunteer
Envelopes of Hope volunteers must be at least 18 years old and complete a 20-minute online training course before being matched with an inmate pen pal. Participants can specify the gender of the person they correspond with and may use an alias or a provided P.O. Box for safety. The program's website remains live at envelopesofhopeuta.wixsite.com/hope.
A career built on overlooked stories
Carnesecca first walked into the Lehi Free Press office as a high school junior asking for an internship. Publishers Sally Francom and Rob Shelton hired her, then brought her on as a full-time reporter after graduation, according to a tribute published by the Lehi Free Press. They described her as "unusually mature and articulate for an 18-year-old" and said she had an instinct for finding stories that don't announce themselves.
Her bylines appeared in the American Fork Citizen, BYU's Daily Universe, and Utah Valley Magazine. She interned at KSL in summer 2025 and at KTVX Good Things Utah. She was a BYU communications student on the Dean's List, expected to graduate in 2028.
Vigil drew hundreds in yellow
Mourners at the July 28 vigil wore yellow, Carnesecca's favorite color and the signature color of the Envelopes of Hope logo. Yellow and white balloons filled the amphitheater as attendees wrote notes in her memory.
Dorinda Ledkins, director of the Miss American Fork Organization within the Miss Utah Scholarship Organization, organized the vigil with the blessing of Carnesecca's family. American Fork Mayor Brad Frost and close friend Jefferson Penrod spoke.
Carnesecca was crowned Miss American Fork 2024 and won both the Miss Congeniality Award and the Talent Award for piano at the 2025 Miss Utah competition. Beyond journalism, she volunteered as a buddy with Utah Miss Amazing, created a sewing class for children, and organized toy drives for children affected by abuse. Summerissa Bell Stevens, president of the Harrington Center for the Arts, said Carnesecca interviewed her organization countless times and also volunteered there.
If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Help is available 24/7.
