The 2025 WA State Youth of the Year program combined many time-tested events and traditions with some new elements. This three-day youth leadership event kicked off with a reception at the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia, where participating youth were officially introduced and presented with their finalist credentials. State Representative Julia Reed, a Boys & Girls Club alumna, served as the event’s emcee, and fondly recalled her time at her Seattle Club. Kurt C. Jr. from Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County was awarded the $1,500 Community Service scholarship for his extensive community service inside and outside his RMAC Club in Lacey.
Over the next couple of days, our 16 finalists participated in leadership development activities such as an interview practice workshop hosted by the HR team at the Washington State Employees Credit Union and a speech prep workshop at the Henry T. Schatz Boys & Girls Club in Lakewood. For fun, they visited a selfie museum in Seattle and rode around in a limo to visit some of Seattle’s best sites.
We are excited to announce that after an extensive selection process, Natalia S.-R. from the BGCA-affiliated Youth Center at Joint Base Lewis McChord was named as the 2025 WA State Military Youth of the Year, and Kurt C. Jr. from Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County as the 2025 WA State Youth of the Year. Both Natalia and Kurt will advance to the Pacific Region Youth of the Year competition which will take place on June 3rd and 4th in Los Angeles, CA.
We want to thank all of the Club staff, our judges, and our sponsors for providing support and contributing time and expertise to help us organize yet another fantastic leadership development experience for our Club youth!
We’d also like to thank our wonderful sponsors of the 2025 WA State Youth of the Year!
