 |
|||||
    |
|||||
|
LaGrange
Teen Named Boys & Girls
BY BILL VALLADARES Demetrice Tuttle, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Georgia, was named the 2007-08 National Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Youth of the Year during a Congressional Breakfast in September co-hosted by Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Steny Hoyer. Before becoming eligible for this prestigious national honor, Tuttle and four other finalists from Arizona, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Illinois, garnered the Youth of the Year title at their respective local, state and regional levels. Tuttle and the other national finalists were selected from among 4.8 million youths who entered the competition. The Reader's Digest Foundation awarded each state finalist a $1,000 college scholarship and each regional finalist a $10,000 college scholarship. Tuttle received an additionall $15,000 scholarship from the Reader's Digest Foundation and met President George Bush in the Oval Office following the Congressional Breakfast. The five finalists were fêted by leaders in politics and business, including Regina Schofield, assistant attorney general, Office of Justice Programs; Rick Goings, CEO of Tupperware Brands Corporation and chairman of the board for BGCA; and Tim Brosnan, executive vice president, business, and Tom Brasuell, vice president of community affairs for Major League Baseball. The Youth of the Year program, sponsored by the Reader's Digest Foundation since 1947, recognizes outstanding contributions to a member's family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club; academic excellence;and personal challenges and obstacles overcome.
From a very young age Tuttle set a positive example for others. When his mother was diagnosed with cancer, he helped take care of his younger brother and household duties. But he also grew up in severe poverty, surrounded by negative influences, and at age 11 BGCA offered him an alternative. "I didn't fit in," said Tuttle. "The Boys & Girls Club was where I found my place in the world. This is not a babysitting organization. The Boys & Girls Club offers hope and opportunity by taking children with promise and turning them into adults with purpose." Tuttle graduated from Troup County High School in 2007, where he was involved in student council, Drama Club, and the Academic Bowl Team. The principal chose Tuttle to manage the school's supply store and serve as a mentor to at-risk students." When Tuttle joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Georgia he continued to flourish as a leader. As president of the Keystone Club, he led his peers in clean-ups and community rallies. Tuttle also found a way to develop his passion for speech and performance as a tool to help others through several speaking opportunities at the Club's special events and the United Way, and appearing on local TV programs. He also served as a Junior Staffer, Power Hour tutor and mentor to at-risk teens in the REAL to Reel Teen Talk Show. Through this show, Tuttle encourages teens to graduate from high school and pursue a post-high school education. In addition to that, as Boys & Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year he is the national spokesperson for the organization. Tuttle is majoring in theater and sociology at LaGrange College. After he graduates Tuttle plans to pursue a master's degree at Georgetown University in hopes of furthering his commitment to public service.
|
||||
|
|
|||||
