Courtesy Photo Skyler Wininger was named Northeast Michigan Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena.

ALPENA — Selected among many outstanding youth, Skyler Wininger has been named the Local Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena.

The Youth of the Year title is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence, and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle.

Now in its 76th year, the Youth of the Year program honors our nation’s most awe-inspiring young people on their path to great futures. Wininger will go on to vie for the Michigan Youth of the Year title and a $2,500 college scholarship from Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

“Skyler is a phenomenal youth and leader not only at the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena, but also within our whole community,” said Catherine Knoch, director of operations at the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena. “He is resilient and utilizes his experiences to advocate for and support others.”

Wininger, a 17-year-old junior at Alpena High School, has been a long time member of the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena. This is his second year representing Northeast Michigan in the state Youth of the Year competition.

“When I began working with Skyler four years ago, he was already an active participant in our programs at the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena,” Knoch continued. “It is a great honor to be a mentor to Skyler and have him as a member of our organization.”

He has been a dedicated participant and leader in many of the programs at the local club.

“As soon as Skyler started to participating in our Youth Volunteer Corps program, he began exemplifying his leadership qualities and he became a large voice for our youth within the community,” Knoch said. “I know Skyler will represent our community well in Lansing, and I am most excited for him to tell his story amongst other youth within our state.”

Wininger is extremely active in the Youth Volunteer Corps program, where he is the secretary of the Youth Advisory Council, has completed over 700 hours, and has earned multiple internationally recognized awards.

He is most passionate about being an advocate for victims of bullying and domestic violence, so he plans to build a career of designing video games that bring awareness to these tough issues.

“We are incredibly proud of Skyler and all the Youth of the Year nominees,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of America. “Being named Youth of the Year is a lifelong honor and accomplishment.”

Founded in 1947 as Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community, and Boys and Girls Club.

The Youth of the Year program is supported by Toyota and Mondelez International. As the Signature Sponsor of Youth of the Year, Toyota is committed to partnering with Boys and Girls Clubs of America to ensure local clubs provide life-enhancing opportunities for kids and teens to explore, develop and apply the essential skills they need to be successful in life and work. As the Lead Sponsor of Youth of the Year, Mondelez International will engage with local clubs year-round to help foster a new generation of leaders prepared to live in and lead a diverse global economy. Youth of the Year representatives are the workforce leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers of tomorrow.

If Wininger receives the title of Michigan Youth of the Year, he will join other state Youth of the Year to vie for the Midwest regional title. If named the regional Youth of the Year, they will be awarded an additional $20,000 college scholarship. The five finalists, along with the National Military Youth of the Year, will advance to the National Youth of the Year event in October to vie for the title of Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year receives an additional scholarship of $50,000 and a brand-new Toyota Corolla.

For more information about the Youth of the Year program, visit youthoftheyear.org.

About Boys and Girls Club of Alpena

The Boys and Girls Club of Alpena offers programming in various areas to 6 through 18-year-olds within our community. The club’s mission is to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. The club’s core promise is to provide a safe environment and have a positive impact on their lives, and to uphold high ethical standards in all areas, especially in overseeing finances, collecting membership and participation data, being good stewards of the donor dollar, and representing the club to the public.