Gathunguri Crowned Lawrence Youth of the Year
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The best possible outcome at a Youth of the Year ceremony is a group of terrific candidates hugging on stage, each convinced that the other would win. That was the scene Thursday night as Ruth Gathunguri was named the 2018 Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Youth of the Year.
Liberty Hall provided the perfect backdrop for more than 400 Boys & Girls Club families, board members, teachers, donors, staff and friends to cheer on the Youth of the Year finalists. Serving as the premier event for more than 4,000 local Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, the Lawrence edition featured Hasiya Asuku (junior, Lawrence High School), Christian LaPointe (senior, Free State High School) and Gathunguri. All three of them delivered speeches that garnered standing ovations from the crowd, but it was the junior from Free State High School who earned the highest honor a Club kid can receive.
“I honestly thought Chris was going to win,” Gathunguri said. “Overcoming what he did and finding a place in the Boys & Girls Club is just a beautiful story. Knowing Chris since fifth grade, he deserved it – all of us deserved it – and his speech really touched my heart.”
Her humble viewpoint was shared by all three candidates, making the evening even more special. Presented by Peoples Bank, Youth of the Year is widely regarded as an all-time favorite at the Club by everyone involved. The event is a culmination of not only months of hard work by the candidates and their mentors – but also celebrates life-long relationships that kids develop with the Boys & Girls Club. Watching the BGCLK mentors laugh, cheer and cry with their respective candidates Thursday night certainly portrayed that.
Those who earn the Youth of the Year title embody the values of leadership service, academic excellence and healthy lifestyles. They exemplify the powerful impact that the Boys & Girls Club has on kids in Lawrence. Gathunguri, who started as a Club kid at Quail Run Elementary and has now become a Club staff member at Sunset Hill Elementary, fits the bill.
“The Boys & Girls Club was such an amazing place for me when I was a Club member,” Gathunguri said. “Now that I’m a staff member, I want to be that for my kids. I want to be their superhero. I want to make them feel welcomed, loved and accepted every time they walk into my class.”
In addition to Gathunguri’s strong message about race, bullying and the dangers of body shaming, LaPointe and Asuku each showed extreme bravery by sharing their own stories. Dry eyes were difficult to find as LaPointe spoke of how he overcame a grim home situation that included abuse and not knowing who to trust. Asuku shared how tough it was to move to the United States from Nigeria and be cruelly stereotyped because of her accent and heritage.
Tasked with making the decision, a gracious group of judges volunteered to help. The panel was comprised of Dr. Lon Dehnert, Shade Keys Little, DeBarre Johnson, Chad Lawhorn, Jeremiah Booker, Allison Harding and Sgt. Amy Rhoads. They conducted interviews with all three candidates, scored each of their three application essays and listened intently to all three speeches.
“This was one of the most competitive years since I’ve been here,” Colby Wilson, BGCLK Chief Executive Officer, said. “The judges really could not have made a wrong choice. This is always a great night. I was so impressed with the quality of our kids and the courage they showed in telling their stories. I’m grateful we had so many supporters here to feel and experience that.”
Gathunguri will now go on to represent Lawrence at the Kansas Youth of the Year event in Topeka. She has career aspirations in medicine and plans to major in biology. She is looking at Johnson County Community College for her first two years of school before moving on to Pitt State.