Recognizing Some Amazing Youth
This week, Kelly Woodward and I had the opportunity to be part of the judging committee for the annual Youth of the Year program for Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. I was part of the team that met with the young people at the Wilfley Branch and Kelly was part of the Boettcher Branch team.
This experience is always an inspiring one as it enables us to come face to face with some of the community’s most amazing young people and all that they are doing to make our world a better place. It was a difficult decision, as it always is, to select the junior and the senior youth of the year winners respectively.
Nash Hahn (junior winner) and Shonnetta Henry (senior winner) were our recipients at Wilfley, which is located at I-70 and Pecos.
Shonnetta was our winner last year as well. She is a senior at East High School, maintaining very good grades with a schedule of predominantly college prep courses. She is an incredible poet and has a strong desire to be a child psychologist when she graduates from college. She hopes to go to Eugene Lane College in New York upon graduation from East. Shonnetta is very involved in our commuity as well, helping to advance the treatment of immigrants in our country as well as helping to reform North High School, her school of residence.
I must say that I have no doubt Shonnetta will be whatever she desires to be in this world. She sets an example for me to raise my own standards in our world. Congratulations, Shonnetta.
Kelly had an equally moving experience judging at Boettcher. Her team selected Alexandria Batiste as their winner for the second year in a row. Alexandria is a wonderful young lady who dreams of starting her own “Oprah” style television show strictly for kids . . . . a public forum through which to raise issues of the day and to help kids navigate through them effectively. Alexandria is also an amazing example for all of us.
It will be a true honor to be able to recognize Shonnetta, Alexandria and Nash, along with the other Clubs’ winners at the annual Youth of the Year Gala to benefit Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, which will take place at the Seawell Ballroom on May 2nd.
We are particularly excited this year to join in the Gala’s celebration of another remarkable person. Our organization’s owner, Mr. Pat Bowlen, will receive the esteemed 2008 Champion of Youth Award as part of the evening. Mr. Bowlen is the reason the Broncos have been able to advance our collaboration with Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver to make more and more dreams of young people reality.
Thanks for checking in with the goings on in Community Development and please join me in congratulating the outstanding young people aforementioned in the Youth of the Year group for Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.
Have a great week in Broncos Country!