The omnipresent smile of Tyler Meeks beamed brightly when his name ended up being called out as winner of the title of 2021 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor at a virtual celebration held last week on Thursday, February 11th. The virtual celebration from the Club’s Joel E. Smilow Teen Center on W. Empire Avenue in Benton Harbor was the crowning moment for Meeks.
Tyler is an 18-year-old senior at Benton Harbor High School where he is a part of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. He worked as a “Junior Staff” member at the Club’s Fettig Youth Campus, where he mentored younger Club members, fostering their dreams and goals. He believes the Club saved his life and now he is giving back.
Tyler tells us, “Helping others is the way we help ourselves.” He has shown tremendous passion for America’s youth with the goal to create more awareness around Down Syndrome. His sister Jayda was born with Down Syndrome, and he says, “Having a sister like mine is so unique. She keeps me motivated and smiling, day in and day out,” adding, “Her joy and playfulness is unmatched, from making dance videos on TikTok to trying to beat us in video games. She’s always learning and adapting to new things.” It is for those reasons that Tyler dreams of starting a social media community where people with Down Syndrome and other disabilities come together and build supportive relationships.
Mackenzie Kastl, Chief Executive Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor, says, “Tyler is an extraordinary young man and a perfect spokesperson on behalf of the kids we serve at the Club. He is a model for the other Club members to aspire to, and he is using each experience he faces as a stepping stone to the future.”
Tyler is undecided on where he will be attending college in the fall of 2021, but he will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. This spring, he will compete virtually with teens selected by each of the 16 statewide clubs for the Michigan Youth of the Year title.
Tyler, one of two teen finalists from the Benton Harbor Club, was selected during the celebration by Ardale Clark and Trianna Sims, both former Youth of the Year title holders, following a personal interview and speech about how the Boys & Girls Club changed his life. The other finalist was 17-year-old Tanae Allen, a senior at Benton Harbor High School. The event was hosted by former Michigan Youth of the Year Quincy Sulton, with remarks throughout from other past title-holders.
The Club in Benton Harbor has a legacy of recognized leaders with last year’s winner, Tekeidra Masters, going on to earn the titles of Michigan Youth of the Year and Midwest Regional Youth of the Year. Quincy Sulton, 2018 Benton Harbor winner was also named Michigan Youth of the Year. In 2014 Jasmnika Newbern was selected as the Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Midwest Regional Youth of the Year. Trianna Sutton was the Benton Harbor and Michigan Youth of the Year in 2012.
Every year the Boys & Girls Clubs of America reaffirm their mission to inspire and empower today’s youth by celebrating exemplary youth in Clubs across the nation through the Youth of the Year program. The Youth of the Year journey begins locally when youth, nominated by Club staff and peers, accept the challenge to rise above their circumstances and make positive changes in their lives, Club and community.
Located at 600 Nate Wells Senior Drive, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor has served the youth of Benton Harbor since 1998. The Club provides after school and summer programs promoting educational and career development, character and leadership development, and healthy lifestyles for nearly 1,200 youth and teens each year at the Fettig Youth Campus and Joel E. Smilow Teen Center, as well as community-based locations in Benton Harbor and neighboring areas. You can learn more online at http://www.bgcbh.org
