FLAGSTAFF — Selected among five outstanding youth, Makia W. has been named the Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of Flagstaff. The Youth of the Year title is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence, dedication to live a healthy lifestyle, and life and workforce readiness. Now in its 78th year, the Youth of the Year program honor the nation’s most awe-inspiring young people on their path to great futures. Makia will go on to vie for the Arizona Youth of the Year title and a $2,500 college scholarship from Kohl’s. “We are proud to announce Makia as the recipient of our Club’s 2025 Youth of the Year Representative. Her dedication, passion, and exceptional potential embody the values we seek to support and uplift in the youth we serve, cultivating our future leaders. We look forward to witnessing Makia’s continued growth and success,” stated Mark Cox, CEO/President of the Boys & Girls Club of Flagstaff. Makia strives to uplift the communities she is a part of and has put in over 40 hours of community service this academic year. Makia is a dual-enrollment senior at Winslow High School with the NAVIT program with Northland Pioneer College, a peer-student tutor at Winslow Residential Hall, Inc., and a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member. Makia looks forward to attending Northern Arizona University and pursuing her studies in Biomedical Sciences in the Fall of 2025. If Makia is named the Arizona Youth of the Year, she will vie for the title of Pacific Regional Youth of the Year who will receive an additional $20,000 college scholarship. Five regional finalists along with the National Military Youth of the Year will advance to the National Youth of the Year event in September 2025 to vie for the title of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year will receive an additional scholarship of $50,000 and a brand-new Toyota Corolla. The Youth of the Year program is supported by Kohl’s. Kohl’s is the Signature Sponsor of Youth of the Year, sharing a dedication to America’s youth. Kohl’s is committed to partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to ensure local Clubs and Youth Centers provide staff training and curriculum updates focused on trauma-informed care, building practices kids and teens will need to build great futures.
