Gathunguri Repeats as Kansas Youth of the Year
TOPEKA, Kan. – Thanking mentors she met in third grade to the entire community of Lawrence, Ruth Gathunguri bubbled over with gratitude Wednesday evening. The senior from Free State High School was named the Kansas Youth of the Year for the second-consecutive time.
Joined by her parents, her Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence mentors and three tables worth of supporters, Gathunguri barely heard her name announced as her fan base erupted in cheers inside the Ramada Topeka Downtown Hotel and Convention Center Ballroom. She was named the Lawrence Youth of the Year and the Kansas Youth of the Year in 2018 – and has followed the same path in 2019.
“Thank you, Lawrence, so much for supporting me a third year in a row,” said Gathunguri, who made her first Youth of the Year appearance in 2017 at the Lawrence level. “I hope to make you proud when I go to Texas (for Regionals). Thank you to every group leader who ever helped me – like Ms. Kit Kat – and every group leader who has ever taught me at Boys & Girls Club. Shout out to Ms. Laura and Ms. Monica, my parents, my family and the whole community who has supported me through this whole process.”
Next, Gathunguri will represent Kansas at the Southwest Region Youth of the Year ceremony in June. Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence has produced the Kansas Youth of the Year in five of the last eight years.
“I am so proud to represent Kansas again,” Gathunguri said. “At first, I thought people were going to be tired of people seeing my face. But I knew it was really important to share my story. My passion is to share my story, so I can help people through their own struggles in life. One of the other candidates said it perfectly in her speech when she said that every child is extraordinary. I want to be a voice for those children so they know that they are awesome, too.”
Gathunguri delivered a brave message, revealing that she emotionally lost a brother to drug abuse and battled a damaging eating disorder early in her high school years. The Boys & Girls Club became her safe haven as a small child and again as a teenager. Now as a group leader at the Club, it is her mission to make sure her Club kids never harm their bodies the way she did. This is her third time appearing as a Youth of the Year candidate, but the first time that Gathunguri has felt courageous enough to share this part of her story.
“I am very proud of Ruth,” said Colby Wilson, Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence CEO. “Ruth knew she would have to take her preparation, her platform, and her story to another level if she was going to repeat as State Youth of the Year. She accepted this challenge, put in the work, and took the next step in her journey. I’m thankful for the mentors at the Club who helped her along the way. The success of young people like Ruth is why we do what we do.”
Seven candidates (six traditional and one military) spent the day together in Topeka. Gathunguri, and her fellow Kansas candidates presented their speeches, interviewed with the panel of judges and participated in the first youth-led Kansas Law Enforcement Panel. The panel included Chiefs of Police from all over the state taking questions and listening to answers from the candidates.
They transitioned directly into the evening ceremony that began with a meet-and-greet with several local and state elected officials. Representative Eileen Horn from Lawrence introduced Gathunguri to the audience, and the evening’s master of ceremonies, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, announced Ruth as the winner.
The daughter of Faith Gathunguri and Gilbert Karuga, Ruth went to the Boys & Girls Club Quail Run site as an elementary student. She has career aspirations of becoming a school administrator and plans to major in education. She is looking at Johnson County Community College for her first two years of school before moving on to the University of Kansas.