Emryn Welton has a new honor she never dreamed she would achieve.
The 10th grader from southern New Jersey has been named “Military Youth of the Year” in the state for her leadership, service and academic excellence in a youth program hosted by the military installation and the Keystone Club of the Boys & Girls Club of America.
For more than 30 years, the Department of Defense has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to offer various support programs to the youth at military installations in multiple states and around the world. In 2013, the Military Youth of the Year program was established to celebrate outstanding military-connected youth and teens.
Welton won over 15 teen finalists representing Boys & Girls clubs and military-affiliated youth centers across the state.
“Being able to work with other youth and get their perspectives on everything just boosted my confidence in being able to talk to them and get their ideas,” said Welton in a video testimonial about the program, shared with Military.com. “The club definitely helped me with everything. I’ve been able to be more of a leader than I ever have been before.”
Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst (JB MDL) is a massive military facility located near Trenton, NJ, and the only multiservice base in the U.S. that includes all six armed forces branches. The facility combines the McGuire Air Force Base, the army’s Fort Dix base, and the navy’s Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst—all of which were merged in October 2009.
Welton has been a part of the McGuire youth program for more than five years and has volunteered and led a number of initiatives in service to the military community, including the families and children of soldiers. She said it’s given her a creative outlet and an idea of what she wants to do for a career.
My career goals are something to do with art. Art is my passion, and I discovered this passion through the youth center. It turned into this huge passion for me that now I’m even trying to make a career out of it, to become a graphic designer or an art teacher and work with children.
Teen Leadership On Display
The Keystone Club is a teen leadership and service program of the Boys and Girls Club of America, and supports the communities that surround military facilities. Welton’s initiative with the program earned high recognition among her peers and the program’s organizers.
“Emryn is an inspiring young leader whose journey reflects remarkable resilience, creativity, and personal growth,” Susan Haspel, state director of Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey, told Military.com. “Through her kindness, artistic vision and commitment to uplifting others, she exemplifies the strength and leadership of today’s military-connected youth.”
Welton has helped organize holiday dinners, membership drives, dances, STEM workshops, and as Keystone Club president, she also serves as a leader for younger club members through the “Torch Club” and the “SMART Girls Club—where members volunteer, build self-esteem, and gather feedback for future programming at Joint Base McGuire.
Welton says she’s learned and grown so much.
Being the Keystone president in my club has really changed my confidence and brought it out a lot more. I used to be a very shy, introverted kind of person. I probably wouldn’t even be sitting here if it wasn’t for the club.
Honor Includes $6,000 College Scholarship
One of Welton’s major goals is to go off to college and eventually develop her own anti-bullying workshops for teens and pre-teens, likely using art as a guide, at Joint Base McGuire and beyond.
Along with being named “Military Youth of the Year” in South Jersey, Welton 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’ll go on to compete for the Northeast Military Youth of the Year title, comprised of local Boys and Girls Club winners from the northeastern region of the U.S., vying for a $20,000 scholarship. If Welton wins that competition, she advances to compete for the National Youth of the Year crown.
‘Military Youth of the Year’ winners from each region of the country plus overseas winners compete for the national title, which includes a $50,000 scholarship and a new Toyota Corolla. Organizers say the winner serves as an exemplary ambassador for Boys & Girls Club youth, and as a strong voice for all of our nation’s young people.
“Emryn is grateful for the opportunity to represent military youth and serve as a voice for those who have not yet had the chance to share theirs,” Haspel said. “We are proud of her and the work she has already done.”
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