Boys & Girls Club Names Youth of the Year

Giving a speech to a large group can be nerve-wracking, especially when the audience includes a panel of judges and community leaders. However, three exemplary teenagers passed that test on Friday as they competed to become Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Blue Ridge.

After an extensive process that included writing essays, fielding tough interview questions and giving a public speech, judges selected DeVante Martin, a 15-year-old freshman at Martinsville High School, as Youth of the Year in a ceremony at the Dutch Inn. DeVante received a $500 college scholarship from Carter Bank & Trust, and he will go on to represent the local Boys & Girls Clubs in the state Youth of the Year competition in Richmond in March.

In his speech, DeVante spoke about the ways his participation in the Boys & Girls Clubs since March 2006 has encouraged him to “Be adventurous,” “Be friendly,” “Be selfless” and “Be great,” among other qualities.

“In the four years I’ve been in Boys & Girls Club, I’ve done so many things I never would’ve gotten to do (otherwise),” he said.

DeVante said his mother, Melissa Wade, has always encouraged him to go to college, stay focused and achieve his dreams, and the Club reinforces that message. “I know the Club is here to help me achieve my goals,” he said in the speech. “You’re only limited to what you limit yourself. You can go beyond the sky. Be great!”

DeVante admitted he felt a bit nervous beforehand and that the competition took a lot of time and preparation. However, he said, “It was worth it.”

The other Youth of the Year finalists in Friday’s competition were Kenya Moore, 15, and Tyler Allen, 14.

“I truly believe these three young people are going to go on and change the world,” said Anne Frazier, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Blue Ridge, during the ceremony.

“You have to give these students a lot of credit,” said Clarence Simington, the BGCBR board member who oversaw the organization of the event. “The process itself is not simple. Each of our candidates has been working very hard at home the past several weeks on their written essays, interview skills, public speaking and poise. They have been devoting time to this competition outside of their normal school day: during Club time with Club staff, often giving up participation in other Club activities, and also at home.”

Although he has not yet chosen where he will apply to college, DeVante said he would like to be an engineer and earn his master’s degree. He cultivated this interest through his participation in NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers). His other extracurricular activities include STATIC step team, Upward Bound, the marching band, and Key Club, as well as volunteer work for the SPCA, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army and filling Christmas stockings for the United Way.

Kenya, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs since August 2005, is a freshman at Martinsville High School. Not only is she a black belt in karate, her other extracurricular activities include Girl Scouts, robotics, NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers), STATIC step team (Students Taking Action to Impact the Community), Key Club and the marching band.

In her speech, Kenya described the difficulty of losing a parent. When her father passed away when she was in the seventh grade, she struggled to stay afloat. However, she told herself, “I still can’t give up… I have to push myself harder.” Kenya also talked about the importance of being a role model and giving back to the community. Her time with the Boys & Girls Clubs has allowed her to make new friends and improve her grades, she said.

Tyler is an eighth-grader at Martinsville Middle School and has been a Boys & Girls Clubs member since September 2007. He participates in Junior Beta Club and band. Tyler loves to play baseball and share that passion with family members. In his speech, he talked about the importance of religion, America and fairness. He said he joined the Boys & Girls Clubs because he needed something to do, and then was able to have experiences he never thought he would have.

Not only did he go on “college field trips, ice skating, laser tag and more,” Tyler said, “I gained honesty, sportsmanship and integrity.”

It was not an easy decision for the judges. During the event, they announced the scores were so close that they had to leave the room and deliberate further before choosing the winner. The panel was made up of Bruce Cohenour of Hooker Furniture Corp., Steve Keyser of New College Institute, Kathy Rogers of the United Way of Henry County & Martinsville, and the Rev. William Shackleford of St. Paul High Street Baptist Church.

This is the first year the local Boys & Girls Clubs have been able to participate in the Youth of the Year competition. To be eligible, candidates must be between the ages of 14 – 18 years old and have a record of active and continuing service in the Boys & Girls Club for at least two years.

The Youth of the Year recognition program is the cornerstone of Boys & Girls Clubs’ character and leadership core program area. It promotes and celebrates young people’s service to the Club, community and family; academic performance; moral character; life goals; poise and public speaking abilities. A mainstay of the Boys & Girls Club experience, the year-round program helps young people develop the skills needed to be successful Youth of the Year candidates and productive adults.

The program begins by recognizing youth at the Club level, where Clubs are encouraged to select a Youth of the Month to help build participation throughout the year. The local Youth of the Year is selected from three finalists in this pool to compete for the state title. State winners receive a $2,000 scholarship award and advance to compete at the regional level. Five regional winners then participate in the national competition, which takes place annually in Washington, D.C. Participants are recognized at a Congressional Breakfast and also visit with the President at the White House. Each regional winner receives an engraved plaque and a $10,000 scholarship. The national winner receives the National Youth of the Year plaque and an additional scholarship award of $15,000.