Williams Seizes Second Place in 2024 Kansas Youth of the Year
LAWRENCE, Kan. –Surrounded by friends, family, and his mentors, La’Ron Williams left a lasting impression with his speech, which was carefully crafted and rehearsed over the last several months since taking on the challenge. Williams was the runner up at the 2024 Kansas Youth of the Year ceremony in Topeka. Upon his arrival back in Lawrence, he was met at the doors of the Center for Great Futures by his proud Club friends who shared a few high fives before settling into their usual rapport.
“I’m very grateful,” said Williams, the son of Contressa Woodson and Jermell Taylor, who remained an incredible support system for La’Ron. “As a black kid in Lawrence, sometimes you don’t really see that as much, and so I’m just very grateful that they’ve been there for me through this entire journey—through Minnesota, Virginia, and now here in Kansas, they’ve been with me every step and I thank them for that.”
A Free State High School senior, Williams was joined Tuesday evening for the ceremony by his parents, younger brother, mentors and friends, some of whom are also of Youth of the Year fame. Although he didn’t win the title, he won the pride and respect of everyone who had the opportunity to hear his speech.
The 2024 Kansas Youth of the Year winner, Zion Burgess, is a member with the Boys & Girls Club of Hutchinson and will go on to represent Kansas at the Southwest Region Youth of the Year.
Seven candidates (five traditional and two military) spent the day together in Topeka getting to know one another. Williams and his fellow Kansas candidates presented their speeches, interviewed with the panel of judges and toured the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park before settling back in at the Townsite Tower for the evening’s ceremony.
“Seeing Youth of the Year, you get a clear picture of how much the Boys & Girls Club means to these kids,” said Laci Maltbie, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence. “And, it’s not just happening in Lawrence—it’s in Clubs all over the state and nation, sharing stories of success. I’m proud to be a part of this incredible Movement, and I couldn’t have picked a better representative for our Club than La’Ron.”
Maltbie started her position with BGCLK earlier this month, and Kansas Youth of the Year was the perfect event to showcase the outcome of its mission—to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.
In his speech, he described a familiar feeling when facing the crossroads of life. He opened up about the enormity of graduating high school and ‘reality’ coming at him. He talked about how his internship at the Boys & Girls Club this summer gave him a chance to choose real-life experience rather than a carefree summer break. He was vulnerable with the audience about how daunting it is to leave the comfort zone he’s built at school and at the Club. Although his Youth of the Year journey has come to an end, it is still a chapter in his life he can look back on fondly and know he did BGCLK justice with his words.
“My favorite part was the essays, one hundred percent,” Williams laughed, looking back on his journey. “Talking to the crowd too, of course, I enjoyed that thoroughly, but I really did enjoy the essays. I just like writing in general.”
When asked about his plans for the future, Williams smiled brightly. “I’m excited. I have a solid plan in mind and it is going to be enacted as soon as I graduate!”
While he decides his career goals, he knows one thing: he is a writer at heart, and will continue to share his words with the world.