Karson Fedinec: The Youth of the Year competition is the highest honor that a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. There are multiple stages of it. We start at the local level, which is between the clubs in Northwest Colorado, and the winner of that advances to the state competition. Then the winner of the state competition goes to a regional competition – and Colorado is a part of the southwest region – and whoever wins the southwest region goes to nationals. And that's the highest honor you can receive. The competition is composed of a three minute speech about your struggles, personal obstacles and how the club has helped you overcome them. Then there's the essays; there's three different essays with three different prompts. Two of them are club related, and the final essay is a personal growth essay and is drawn directly from the common app so it can be used for college applications. And the third portion of the competition is the interview. A judges panel assembles and they ask you five to eight questions. They judge you based on how well you answer and the content of your character. 

S.M.: What does it mean to you to be selected as a Youth of the Year finalist representing your Boys & Girls Club?

K.F.: I always tell people that the Boys & Girls Club is a place where you can be anything. You are supported in every dream and aspiration that you have. Being the Youth of the Year for our club really allows me to live up to my goals and be a positive mentor in the lives of every kid that we serve. Coming from a rural community, I feel like a lot of times people feel confined and that they can't do big things, and I think that being Youth of the Year really allows me to show them that no matter what your background is, you can always do what you set your mind to. Especially if you have a Boys & Girls Club standing behind you.

S.M.: A big part of Youth of the Year is sharing personal stories about how the Boys & Girls Club has made an impact. What was it like sharing your story with the judges and the community?

K.F.: It's always a little nerve-wracking. It’s a difficult thing to get up there. The speech has to be memorized – that's difficult on its own; and sharing those personal obstacles that you've had to overcome is not something you talk about super frequently, so getting up and doing it in front of complete strangers is difficult. But for me, at least, it's like when you're singing a song and your brain goes on autopilot, you don't even realize that you're singing. I really lose myself in it because it's my story, it's my life.

S.M.: Now that you’ve been named the winner, you’ll go on to represent the Club at the state Youth of the Year competition. What are you most excited about as you take that next step?

K.F.: Last year when I went to state, my favorite part of it and the part I’m most looking forward to, is seeing how the clubs impact people all across the state. How different it is from community to community. Also, the judges panel that they have at the state level is always very interesting. And they set aside time to let you ask them questions, which I really enjoy – asking them how they got involved with their clubs and what their background is. I think it's super interesting to see the variety of people that the Boys & Girls Club can bring in and how many different supporters we have from so many different fields. That's my favorite part about it.

S.M.: Along with the title, you also received a $10,000 scholarship. How will that help you pursue your future goals?

K.F.: I don’t plan on just getting a bachelor’s degree, I plan on going to law school after I get my bachelor’s. And it's no secret that law school and an undergraduate degree are really expensive so having that financial aid and a little bit of cushion really helps me in getting to my goals. It makes getting my education much more efficient and allows me to just focus on my education rather than where my next bills are going to come from.

S.M.: After going through this experience, what would you say to other Boys & Girls Club members who might be thinking about competing for Youth of the Year someday?

K.F.: I would tell them that a lot of times when we face personal struggles, we think that we’ve overcome them and we bury it down and don't acknowledge it. But doing a program like Youth of the Year where you’re having to get up and share some of the most deep and intrinsic parts of yourself, it helps you come to terms with things and helps you fully incorporate them into who you are. Being able to do something like Youth of the Year really teaches you that your struggles are a part of you. It helps you grow and realizing that is the first step to becoming the best person you possibly can be.