Contact:
Marissa Kappus, Public Relations Coordinator
mkappus@bgcofslc.org

Mia Morrison of Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County Named State Youth of the Year

Local Teen Awarded State-Level Honor for Leadership, Influence, and Advocacy

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL: Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County is thrilled to announce the 2022 Florida State Youth of the Year title has been awarded to our very own Westside Club member, Mia Morrison. The 16-year-old Lincoln Park Academy student was announced the winner in a virtual competition that took place Friday, April 8 after competing against 18 other candidates from Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the state.

During the two-part competition, a panel of judges heard the young leaders discuss their passions, goals, and future plans. For Mia, mental health was at the forefront of her platform.

“I want to create spaces to provide mental health education, awareness, and other resources available to everyone,” Mia said. “I believe we can have people who are trained in mental health counseling, we can have events where we can talk about mental health like it’s natural, and we can have sessions where people feel that it is okay to be open about how you feel.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year program started in 1947 with hopes to “foster a new generation of leaders, fully prepared to live and lead in a diverse, global and integrated world economy.” Being named Youth of the Year is considered the highest honor within the organization and recognizes the Club member’s hard work, leadership within their Club, and their ability to exemplify the Boys & Girls Clubs mission.

Leading up to the state competition, Mia prepared numerous essays, polished her resume, collected letters of recommendation, and worked with local supporters and organizations to perfect her speech. Simply competing at the state level requires months of hard work and dedication to the program.

“Congratulations Mia, for being chosen Florida’s Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year,” said Will Armstead, CEO. “You represented St. Lucie County well – I know our entire community and state are so proud of you! Continue to let your light shine when you compete for the title of Southeast Region Youth of the Year this summer.”

Join Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County to celebrate Mia’s win on Friday, April 15 at the Percy Peek Gym Teen Center, 2902 Avenue D Fort Pierce, FL 34947, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The free community event will feature dinner and dessert catered by Moonswiners Bar-B-Q.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County:

Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing youth with a world class Boys & Girls Club experience, assuring that success is within reach for every young person who walks through our doors, and that every Club member graduates from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship and living healthy lifestyles. The Club enables all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

With 23 locations throughout the county, Boys & Girls Clubs programs serve a diverse group of kids from grades K-12. We serve 17,000 youth throughout the year from a variety of backgrounds. Be part of something wonderful and take a tour of an area club by calling (772) 460-9918 or visiting www.bgcofslc.org or at www.facebook.com/bgcofslc.