South Jersey Girl Chosen As NJ 'Military Youth Of The Year'

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — A high school sophomore from Burlington County is representing New Jersey in the "Military Youth of the Year" competition.

Hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the title is earned for leadership, service, academic excellence, dedication to healthy living, and a commitment to life and workforce readiness.

This year's winner, Emryn W., has been a part of the McGuire Youth Programs for more than five years and has participated in and volunteered for a number of initiatives.

"I look at this role as a privilege that I am honored to be representing Military Youth," Emryn told Patch, "...it means that I am chosen to be the one to speak for those that have not gotten a chance to share their voice."

These include serving as president of the Keystone Club, SMART Girls Club, Art Club, and Graphic Design Club.

The Keystone Club is a teen leadership and service program that gives back to the surrounding communities near military facilities.

Through this platform, Emryn has helped organize holiday dinners, membership drive events, dances, STEM workshops, and more.

She also serves as a connection to younger Club members through the "Torch Club," the organization's pre-teen leadership and service initiative by gathering feedback for future programming.

As part of the SMART Girls Club, she is a mentor and role model to support the goal of building self-esteem in youth.

"Your voice is a pulsation of power," said Emryn, when asked about her message to the young women who look up to her, "it is up to you how loud you crank that volume and what radio stations you negotiate to be heard through."

This "power" can shine through no matter what the situation is, even if it's just hanging around Burlington County with a few friends.

For Emryn, this means going to the skatepark, going swimming, or hitting "Six Flags" for the "El Toro" roller coaster.

Of all the work she hopes to do, one of her major goals is to develop her own anti-bullying workshops that help youth beat depression and use creativity as a form of healing.

This also directly ties into Emryn's long-term hope for a career in graphic design.

"My favorite artist is Anna Miriam Brown. She has been able to depict visual representations of the Bible that truly bring the stories to life...and helps me to understand what I believe, better than I have before," she added.

Along with her honor of "Youth of the Year," Emryn receives a $6,000 college scholarship from the Boys & Girls Clubs and will continue to serve as an ambassador for clubs and military-connected youth across New Jersey.

She now goes on to compete for the Northeast Military Youth of the Year title and a $20,000 scholarship in June with the hopes of advancing into consideration for the National Youth of the Year crown.

The national winner will take home a $50,000 scholarship and a new Toyota Corolla.

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