Pranav Vogeti Named 2021 Lawrence Youth of the Year
LAWRENCE, Kan. – When he stepped to the microphone to give his acceptance speech, Pranav Vogeti immediately thanked the other three candidates for helping him more than they even realized. In one quick sentence, Vogeti summarized what it means to be a Lawrence Youth of the Year candidate.
“It’s not necessarily about winning, and it’s not about being the No. 1 candidate. It’s more about giving us a voice,” Vogeti said. “With my platform, I was able to connect with others. Honestly, I have to give a lot of credit to the other candidates. They were simply amazing.”
Pranav, a junior at Free State High School, was completely on the mark about his fellow candidates. Azura Clark (freshman, Lawrence High School), Akosua Danso (junior, Free State High School), Avion Nelson (junior, Lawrence High School) and Vogeti delivered their speeches on the Liberty Hall stage Thursday night. However, in order to keep these young advocates safe – they spoke to a nearly empty audience. Aside from the judges and the candidates’ parents, guardians and select-few mentors, the audience watched the event through a live stream.
“We weren’t sure how it would go, being a virtual event this year, but we had so many folks at home tuned in because they know what a magnificent event this is,” said Monica Dittmer, Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence CEO. “They know how incredible these young people are. Thank you to the community who watched and supported us, even though they had to do it through a live stream this year. We really appreciate all of you.”
The audience was virtually treated to an inspiring list of topics, ranging from a young man enduring racist name calling as a child to a young woman who has experienced a lifetime of “firsts” through the Boys & Girls Club. The 2021 Junior Youth of the Year candidate added a tear-jerking speech of her own about her battles with depression and self-harm. By the night’s end, the panel of judges were left with a nearly impossible decision. Nevertheless, they tallied the scores and chose a winner whose gratitude was instantaneously apparent.
“It’s not easy to pick a winner in a situation like this, that is clear from the beginning,” Dittmer said. “The level of those speeches was incredible. And then, to watch Pranav come to the stage with that kind of grace and be able to articulate a thank you and talk about the way the other candidates impacted him, that just blew me away. That’s one of the most important life lessons right there – what can you learn from other people. That young man has got it figured out. He’s going to do great things.”
Each judge agreed to attend the ceremony with screening, mask wearing and social distancing protocols in place. Their in-person presence helped maintain the integrity of the event. The panel consisted of Andrew Madl (Mid America Bank), Dr. Waco Goodnight (Panda Pediatrics), Lynette Woodard (Basketball Hall of Fame), Erica Hill-Skar (Lawrence Board of Education), Karl Kramer (McCarthy Auto Group), Suzanne Valdez (Douglas County District Attorney) and Alex Gordon (Kansas City Royals World Champion).
Presented by Mid America Bank, the Youth of the Year program celebrates the life-long relationships that kids develop with the Boys & Girls Club. Those students who earn a Youth of the Year nomination 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. Vogeti and his fellow candidates proved that Thursday night.
The son of Lakshminarayana (LN) and Subha Vogeti, Pranav made himself a well-rounded young man at the Club. It was at the Teen Center that he really began enjoying sports and challenged himself to learn more to better connect with his BGC friends. Pranav has not decided on a college yet, but he plans to major in computer science with career aspirations of becoming a video game developer.
“At first I was a little stiff about all of this,” Vogeti said. “I kind of thought, ‘Ok, let’s just do this systematically’, but then I realized it’s ok to let loose, have fun and go with the flow. You have to take everything in stride. It’s about sharing your experience, and how it represents others. It’s a great feeling.”
Vogeti will now go on to represent Lawrence in the state competition. State winners advance to regional competitions; regional winners advance to the National Youth of the Year event. Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence has produced the Kansas Youth of the Year in five of the last eight years, most recently being Ruth Gathunguri in 2019 and 2018.