KAHULUI - Ben Hoyt has been named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui's Youth of the Year and will compete March 5 on Oahu for the state title and the chance for further recognition on regional and national stages.
Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. It recognizes outstanding contributions to a member's family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, and personal challenges and obstacles overcome. The program was founded more than 60 years ago through the Reader's Digest Foundation.
A member of the Boys & Girls Club of Maui for three years, Hoyt, 15, is a sophomore at King Kekaulike High School. He has a 3.5-plus grade-point average and hopes to study architecture at the University of Hawaii.
Youth development professionals at the Upcountry Boys & Girls Club said he is a civic-minded, trustworthy and empathetic young man.
He participates in Teen Power Hour (study hall), Torch Club, Keystone Club (community service projects), Junior Staff and in other activities and fundraisers.
"Maui County along with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui couldn't ask for better representation at this year's state Youth of the Year event, said Colin Hanlon, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui. "Ben is a young man of whom we can all be proud."
Hoyt won the Maui title in a field that also included Angelica Ilar of the Central Club; Lisa Fulcher, Haiku; Uluwehi Ornellas, Paukukalo; and Ann Marie Lindsey, West Maui.
He next competes at the state Capitol for the Hawaii Youth of the Year title, a $1,000 scholarship from Reader's Digest and a shot at the Pacific Region title and a $10,000 scholarship.
Five regional winners will advance to the national contest to be held in Washington. The National Youth of the Year receives a $15,000 scholarship and is installed by the president in an Oval Office ceremony.
