USAG Rheinland-Pfalz recognizes Military Youths of the Year competing for State title

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz hosted a Military Youth of the Year (MYOY) reception at the Landstuhl Youth Center on Apr. 5 to recognize two youths from the Baumholder and Kaiserslautern Military Communities.

The Baumholder Youth Center's MYOY, Keandre Anderson, and Landstuhl Youth Center's MYOY Nijel K. Johnson-Dwyer (representing Kaiserslautern area) will be traveling to Naples, Italy, to compete for the State Military Youth of the Year title Apr. 18-21.

The teen selected to be the National Youth of the Year serves as a role model, leader, and advocate for the almost 4 million youth supported by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) annually, while also serving as leaders for young people across America.

"While struggling with personal hurdles in life, which felt like an invisible weight on my shoulders, the social aspect of the Youth Center was key to my personal growth and recovery," said Nijel, an 8th grader at Ramstein Middle School. "In a military community where people come and go it was hard for me to initially make friends, I felt like everybody was on a time limit… but later I realized I was looking at the situation the wrong way, because meaningful connections can last a long time, regardless of where we are all located on a map."

Nijel is an advocate for mental health, taking a stance to normalize conversations amongst youth and adults centered around sensitive mental health topics. His goal is to make a lasting impact for mental health awareness across the world, blazing a path for other teens and young people to seek community resources and reach out for assistance when needed.

"Oftentimes, vulnerability is shunned or cast out rather than expressed - which is a great shame as it brings no one comfort to hide their real emotions," Nijel said. "This is why I have been encouraging youth and others to speak out about their mental health and struggles, as I want them to know, it is ok to NOT be ok."

Keandre, a sophomore at Baumholder High School, spent the last 13 years of his life in BGCA-affiliated programs, attending the Child Development Center, the School Age Center, and more recently the Youth Center.

"Both of my parents were working and our family was living off-base, so the Youth Center turned out to be the only place I had for making connections," said Keandre. "Connection is one of the seven seas of resiliency, and it helps you have a sense of belonging - a very important factor in the military community, as there's a lot of movement going around."

Keandre actively participates in various programs at Baumholder Child and Youth Services and, through his involvement with the Keystone Club, has volunteered nearly 500 hours at local and Garrison-wide community events, contributing significantly to the maintenance of the Baumholder Youth Center's Legacy Level Charter. He has also collaborated closely with the UPS Safe Driving Program and is currently utilizing grant funds from BGCA to develop a driving simulator for the youth program.

"My goal is to get the number of teen driving deaths down, and that starts with offering younger drivers an opportunity to practice safe driving skills at no cost," he said.

Keandre expressed how much personal growth he has gained through the Youth Center and encouraged others to get involved with the different available activities.

"My flame is scorching, and I am hoping to pass the torch to others and help them to see the opportunities they have," he said.

Keandre and Nijel were both presented garrison coins by Col. Reid Furman, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, and Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond Wrensch, garrison sergeant major.

"The process of becoming Military Youth of the Year teaches leadership, a skill that will be valuable wherever you go in your lives," said Furman. "Leadership is about driving change and identifying the things that need to be changed, and you are both doing that. I know your families are very proud."

The Military Youth of the Year program, introduced in 2013 as a unique component of the Youth of the Year program, aims to acknowledge exceptional teenagers who are part of the youth community centers affiliated with BGCAs on U.S. military bases around the world.

Each year, six finalists are selected from local, state, and regional contests to represent youth centers across six regions: Overseas, Northeast, Southeast, Pacific, Midwest, and Southwest United States. The winner from each region, including the Regional Military Youth of the Year, advances to the National Youth of the Year Celebration. The MYOY joins the five winners from non-military Boys & Girls Clubs to compete for the prestigious title of National Youth of the Year, as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's national teen spokesperson.

"The lessons you are learning about leadership will always be valuable to you and everyone around you," Furman said. "I hear it clearly from both of you today - it's evident in the work you are doing, you are already leaders."

The day's event also served as an opportunity to officially recognize April as the Month of the Military Child (MOMC) as well as Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM). Furman and Wrensch signed a proclamation for each.

For information about youth center programs in Baumholder, visit https://baumholder.armymwr.com/programs/youth-centers.

In Kaiserslautern, https://kaiserslautern.armymwr.com/programs/youth-centers

U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz serves, supports, and secures the total force community enabling power projection for the European Theater.

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