Last week, the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida awarded the annual Youth of the Year scholarship to Devonte Wilson, a member of the Beaches Boys and Girls Club.
Wilson, a junior at Fletcher High School said he was shocked to find out he won.
"I was truly honored," Wilson said. "It’s an honor I take very seriously. It’s a community leadership thing. I’ve been a leader in my community. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and telling people about the Boys and Girls Club."
Youth of the Year, which is sponsored by The Grune Family Foundation of Ponte Vedra Beach, is an annual scholarship contest. Young people compete based on academic merit, obstacles to overcome and service to their Boys and Girls Clubs and to the community they live in. Each local winner receives a $1,000 scholarship and the opportunity to advance to the state level competition.
Members must be nominated by their Unit Directors at their home club and write an essay about what the club means to them. Wilson’s unit director, Michael Gulley nominated him for the competition.
In his essay, Wilson wrote about the things he has learned and been exposed to through his participation in the Boys and Girls Club.
"The Club introduced me to the power of leadership, " he wrote. "As president of the Keystone Club, I have learned the joys and hardship of leading, but through the highs and lows it is an incredible payoff."
Wilson said he first found his way to the Beaches Club when he was in middle school.
"I used to go to Fletcher Middle School and the Beaches Club was maybe 10 or 20 feet away," he said. "My mother began working longer shifts [at work] and so I would go there after school."
He said some of the more memorable things he’s accomplished through the club include strengthening his leadership abilities and teaching him how to fundraise.
"It really helped me with fundraising," Wilson said. "Its a social experience because its right across the street from the school. You make friends."
The annual Youth of the Year competition will end in September, with the national winner participating in a special White House ceremony with President Obama.
"At the end of the day, the Club is a great place for social, learning, and life experiences, and that is what the Club means to me," Wilson wrote.
sarakaufman@pontevedrarecorder.com
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March 5th 2010 - 10:51AM