Kenbea Walker, one of 15 kids in his family, has found Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County to be a very special place for him. As the youngest sibling, he was only 5 years old when his mother passed away. Kenbea was raised primarily by one of his older brothers and never missed out on the opportunity to spend his days at the McKinney Boys & Girls Club. Now 15, he has impressed many with his growth and maturity along with his leadership skills. He is president of the McKinney Keystone Club, a club designed to develop youth as leaders in the community and also to give back to the community through volunteerism. Kenbea’s mother was once the track coach at the McKinney Club prior to her death 10 years ago.

Each year, Boys & Girls Clubs branches across the country select youth to be their designated Youth of the Year. Kenbea was chosen to represent the McKinney Club and competed against two others who represented Frisco and Plano. Locally, Kenbea won the competition and went on to compete regionally. Sponsored by the Reader’s Digest Foundation since 1947, the national Youth of the Year Program is designed to promote and recognize service to the Boys & Girls Clubs and community, academic performance and contributions to family and spiritual life. Competition begins with each club selecting a Youth of the Year, who receives a certificate and medallion, and then moves on to the state competition. State winners receive a plaque and a $1000 scholarship and are then entered into the regional competition. Each of the five regional winners receives a $10,000 scholarship and then enters the national competition held in Washington, D. C. The National Youth of the Year receives an additional $15,000 scholarship, totaling $26,000 in scholarships and is installed by the President of the United States in an Oval Office ceremony. We are proud of all three of our branch winners and thank them for putting the time in to compete for the Youth of the Year! Congratulations to Kenbea for being the Collin County winner!