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After winning the local Youth of the Year competition last December, the Boys & Girls Club of Bartlesville is proud to announce that Nelly Pendleton was selected as the Boys & Girls Club Oklahoma Youth of the Year winner.

To read Bartlesville Radio's original story, click here.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s State Youth of the Year competition took place virtually on April 27th through the 28th. Nelly competed against Club members from across the state. The competition consisted of written essays, an interview with a panel of judges, and giving her speech in front of Boys & Girls Clubs leaders, Oklahoma legislators and other Club supporters. She was awarded a total of $5,000 in scholarships from Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Oklahoma Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.

Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. As Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community, and Boys & Girls Club, as well as overcoming personal challenges and obstacles. 

Nelly has been a member of the Bartlesville Boys & Girls Club since 2008. She attends Bartlesville High School and is the current President of Keystone Club, a leadership and service-oriented group within the Boys & Girls Club. During her membership at the Club, she has participated in the Career Launch program, S.M.A.R.T. Girls and is a member of the Junior Staff.

Nelly says that to her the “Club is home, a place where I’m more than enough” and that “helping people and working with kids are the most important things to me. I know with hard work and the love I have for my job, and these kids, I can make a change in our community. With the help of others I can change the world, one life at a time, starting with our kids!”

After graduation Nelly plans to attend Independence Community College and hopes to someday be in a leadership position in a Boys & Girls Club.

Nelly will now have the opportunity to represent Oklahoma at the Southwest Regional Youth of the Year competition in Dallas on May 25th, with a chance to receive more scholarship monies and compete for the National Youth of the Year title.

“We could not be more proud of Nelly! We know that she will continue to be successful in all of her endeavors and that she has a very bright future ahead of her,” said CEO, Jason Barta.

The Boys & Girls Club of Bartlesville's mission is to enable our young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential. At the Club, youth discover their talents, develop their character, and have fun. Thanks to community support, the Boys & Girls Club is accessible to all youth for just $20 in membership dues per year.

For more information, visit bgcbville.org.