Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County (BGCLC), in partnership with Colorado State University (CSU) and Front Range Community College (FRCC), hosted the county-wide Youth of the Year Competition on Saturday, Feb. 10. The winning Senior Youth of the Year is Wesley, a 10th-grade student. The winning Junior Youth of the Year is Jade, a 5th grader. Both winners will attend the Sage Homes Wellington Club. Wesley will receive $19,000 in academic scholarships from CSU, FRCC and BGCLC. He will participate in the state-wide Youth of the Year in April, where he will compete for academic scholarships and the chance to compete nationally.
The Youth of the Year competition is a national Boys & Girls Clubs of America initiative to foster a new generation of leaders fully prepared to live and lead in a diverse, global and integrated economy. The Youth of the Year winner will be celebrated at the annual Spring Soirée on Friday, May 31, 2024, at the Hilton Fort Collins.
The Youth of the Year Competition was held at the CSU Lory Student Center Ballroom and featured a campus experience for club families, brunch and a panel discussion with CSU and FRCC students in addition to the competition. During the competition, 17 members were introduced by their club directors before they gave culminating speeches in front of a crowd of nearly 200 people, which was made up of families, friends, community members and staff.
Special thank you to the judges: Amory Anderson, CSU Presidential Ambassador; Ryan Yoe, CSU Presidential Ambassador; Isaiah Stevens, CSU Men’s Basketball; Pete Meyer, Brinkman Construction; Suzanne Miller, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce; Joy Sullivan; United Way of Larimer County; and Dawn Paepke, Kaiser Permanente.
Senior Youth of the Year Winner: Wesley 
Wesley has been a Club member for 10 years and encapsulates what being a Club kid is all about. Wesley is a resilient young man who has overcome some major obstacles in his young life, and yet he always sees the best in everyone and everything. His genuinely positive outlook on life is infectious and has a way of picking others up around him without even trying. He demonstrates our core values daily, and is an outstanding role model for our youth at Club. Wesley sees himself as a future firefighter.
Junior Youth of the Year Winner: Jade
Jade started her journey with Club as a shy and reserved youth, but during her time with us she has broken out of her shell and found her space at Club. She is always the first to volunteer to help staff and fellow Club members. Jade values making impactful relationships with staff and younger members. She truly is leading by example. Jade sees herself as a doctor or nurse because she likes helping others.