Christney Kpodo, a 17-year-old Lincoln High School senior, was named 2009 Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound. Kpodo will compete in the statewide competition next month.
The Youth of the Year program is the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's premiere youth recognition program promoting and celebrating club members and their service. It is designed to promote and recognize service to club and community, academic performance and contributions to family and spiritual life. Each contestant in the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound Youth of the Year competition will be judged in the areas of home and family, moral character, community, school, service to the club, life goals, obstacles overcome, essays, poise and public speaking.
During the past year, Kpodo has volunteered more than 600 hours at the South End Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs helping other children in many ways from mentoring and helping with homework to mediating disputes to arranging for gifts and food for a family in need during the holidays.
After a bicycle accident nearly four years ago, Kpodo required eight surgeries to repair her shattered ankle. The time she spent at the South End club helped her healing in a variety of ways.
At Lincoln High School, Kpodo earned a Gate Achievers scholarship for her academic and extracurricular activities, and now has earned more scholarship funding towards her dream of going to Pacific Lutheran University, then on to a law degree. She will receive scholarships from the Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year award program, said Jinnie Hanson, director of marketing and communications for the Boys & Girls Clubs. Each of the nominees will receive a scholarship from their local club, and the top three nominees will get additional funding. As the top winner, Kpodo will receive even more scholarship money.
Larissa Jackson, a senior at Mt. Tahoma High School, represented the East Side Branch in the Youth of the Year competition, and Cassie Smith, a Wilson High School senior, represented the Gonyea Branch.
Click here to link to The News Tribune story written by Kris Sherman.