Boys & Girls Club Names Youth of the Year

Tom Tran, a student at Canoga Park High School, has been named the Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, which serves Woodland Hills as well as other nearby neighborhoods.

Annually each Boys & Girls Club selects a special youth, based on leadership, good citizenship and civic responsibility to serve as the youth of the year and be a spokesperson for the club and community.

Tran participates in tutoring and the Cyber Patriot program, which is dedicated to learning about online security. He also assists with the College Bound program.

The club's president/CEO, Jan Sobel, noted Tran has achieved academic success and helped better his community through his involvement with the club.

"The club has been a huge part of Tom's life and has seen him develop into the person he has beome today, a strong, resilient leader—one who has overcome great personal challenges," she said.

Each Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year will compete in a countywide evaluation, and the winners go on to the state level. One winner per state will be selected to compete at the regional level, and from that group, five regional finalists are chosen to participate in an annual national competition in Washington, D.C.

These young people are honored at a Congressional breakfast and meet the president in the White House Oval Office. Each state Youth of the Year receives $1,000 scholarship and the national winner receives an additional scholarship of $15,000.