WC Missouri News

Team Whiteman’s Emmanuel Tillman and Alexis Posey, students at the Youth Center, were recently named Junior Youth of the Year and Military Youth of the Year respectively.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America organizes the annual Youth of the Year program to celebrate young people for their commitment to community service, academic success, good character, and citizenship. The program was designed to honor and celebrate the nation’s most inspiring kids.

As part of the selection process, participants wrote and presented speeches to a panel of judges. The winners had an opportunity to showcase their public speaking skills by hosting Missouri Governor Mike Parsons at the Youth Center on Whiteman AFB.

Alexis has also gone on to compete for and win the state Military Youth of the Year title in Jefferson City, Missouri. “I think my favorite part was when we went to Jefferson City,” said Alexis. “Being able to learn about all the different Boys and Girls Clubs in our state and also getting to meet new people and make new friends.”

She wrote several speeches with her family's assistance, focusing primarily on other teens around her who have experienced frequent relocations due to their parents' military assignments. “When you get to understand what they’ve been through, you’re like ‘dang, I don’t know if I’d be able to do that,’” said Alexis. “I haven’t moved around a bunch like some of my best friends but it’s kind of hard to have your best friends constantly leaving you.”

Her focus on fellow military children and dedication to her community contributed significantly to her earning this honor. “Everybody has a story,” said Alexis. “Always be there for people; you don’t know what they are going through.” The Military Youth of the Year program and clubs like the Keystone Club have not only helped her meet new people and visit new places but also provided a scholarship that furthered her education.

Emmanuel was chosen as Junior Youth of the Year at Whiteman AFB due to his consistent demonstration of kindness, honesty, and leadership abilities—qualities he exhibited through volunteering, leading in his school, and mentoring new students at Knob Noster Elementary School. He credited clubs available through the Youth Center for helping him get involved in supporting his community.

“My favorite club is Torch Club because we help our community,” said Emmanuel. “We recently did a bake sale to raise funds to start a teacher’s store to be able to provide more supplies for teachers.” This attitude secured him the title of Whiteman’s Junior Youth of the Year.

Alexis and Emmanuel have shown their family, friends, and community why they earned these honors by demonstrating a commitment to community service, academic success, good character, and citizenship. As Missouri's Military Youth of the Year, Alexis will next compete against other military teens at the regional competition later this year in Chicago.