BGCA's Youth of the Year:  The Best of the Best!

Read new profiles each week of Boys & Girls Club Youths of the Year from all 50 states and U.S. military bases abroad, chosen for academic excellence and service to home, Club and community.

Walisha Bland
Kentucky

Walisha Bland, a six-year member of Portland Boys & Girls Club, was selected as the Youth of the Year for the state of Kentucky by BGCA.

Members of Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Kentucky competed for the honor, but it was Walisha Bland who walked away with the title. Her involvement with Club programs and activities has shaped her into a confident young lady. Her hard work has opened up many opportunities for her to demonstrate her leadership skills.

During the competition, Bland described how she exhibits service in her home and family, moral character, community, school and Club. She expressed her goals of becoming a neonatal intensive care nurse and also shared how she overcame obstacles in her life, such as looking after her younger sister while her mother recovered from back surgery.

Bland uses her influence and life-learning experiences to reach out to teens through panel discussions that focus on everyday teen issues and conflicts. She volunteers many hours tutoring younger Club members and serves as a mentor to other youth. Currently, Bland is a sophomore at Central High School in Louisville and plans to attend the University of Louisville.

More About the Youth of the Year Program
Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. The title recognizes outstanding contributions to a member's family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome. This program was founded 61 years ago through the generosity of the Reader's Digest Foundation.

"The Reader's Digest Foundation has been the proud sponsor of the Youth of the Year program since 1947," said Susan Fraysse Russ, executive director, Reader's Digest Foundation. "For more than 60 years, we have had the great honor of saluting amazing teens for their dedication to their families, Club and community, and for helping them achieve their academic and career goals."

"All Youth of the Year nominees offer proof that Boys & Girls Clubs across the country are fulfilling their mission of inspiring and enabling young people," said Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO, BGCA. "We are thankful to the Reader's Digest Foundation for their long-time support of our Youth of the Year program and for helping Club members reach their goals."

Regional winners are awarded a $10,000 college scholarship and advance to the national competition in Washington. The National Youth of the Year receives an additional $15,000 college scholarship and is installed by President George W. Bush during a ceremony in the Oval Office.

As the founding sponsor of the Youth of the Year program, the Reader's Digest Foundation has given nearly $8 million to BGCA's leadership program, and 61 teens have been selected as the National Youth of the Year.