JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Boys and Girls Club of Alaska hosted the 2017 Youth of the Year ceremony at the Woodland Park Boys and Girls Club in Anchorage, Feb. 17, 2017.
This year’s Alaska State Youth of the Year winner is Gabriel Frommer and the Alaska Military Youth of the Year winner is Taylor Gosizk.
The year-round Youth of the Year Program fosters the candidates’ character, personal growth and leadership qualities.
“The program celebrates service to the club, community and family, academic performance, moral character and life goals,” said Alaska Sen. Anna MacKinnon.
At the local level, clubs select candidates from ages 14 to 18 for youth of the month. Of those, one will go onto represent their club in the state competition, said Alden Ward, a director for the Boys and Girls Club of America, Pacific Region.
During the ceremony, Air Force Col. George T.M. Dietrich III, 673d Air Base Wing and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson commander, and Ethan Berkowitz, Anchorage mayor announced the winners’ names and the prizes they earned.
They each received a $1,500 scholarship from the University of Alaska College Savings Plan and a $5,000 scholarship from the Boys and Girls Club of America. The two runners-up received a $500 dollar scholarship from the University of Alaska Savings Plan.
This year marked the 70th Youth of the Year event.
“They are why we come to work every day,” Ward said. “Our young people, they’re the reason we’re here. We are just honored to be able to celebrate their achievements.”
This year’s winners will advance to the Pacific Regional event and compete for a place in the national event.