Autumn H. Named 2025 Junior Youth of the Year for St. Charles County

St. Charles, MO - January 20, 2025

After 12 weeks of workshops, practice, and unit level competitions, Kaitlyn C., Autumn H., Everett M., and Avaya N. competed at the Organization Level Junior Youth of the Year Competition on January 18, 2025. All the youth participants did an incredible job sharing their unique Club stories and representing their individual Club units through essays, speeches, and interviews with judges from the community.

Five volunteer judges were tasked with making the difficult decision of choosing the 2025 Junior Youth of the Year. The judges included Julia Daugherty of Patriot Machine, Inc., Representative Dave Hinman of Missouri District 103, Melinda McAliney of The Community and Children’s Resource Board of St. Charles County, and Mark Schoene of The DESCO Group. After thoughtful deliberation, the judges named Autumn H. as the 2025 Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County (BGCSTC) Junior Youth of the Year.

Autumn, and the eight total Junior Youth of the Year participants, were recognized at the third annual Great Futures Lunch on January 20th. Volunteers, board members, community stakeholders, elected officials, and parents attended the event to celebrate these Club members, as well as hear a State of the Club presentation from Chief Executive Officer, Karen Englert. “The Great Futures Lunch demonstrated our commitment to building great futures for our Club kids through leadership development and community engagement. We were honored to have so many stakeholders join us for the luncheon and celebration,” shared Karen Englert.

Autumn is an 11 year old member of the O’Fallon Unit and attends Fort Zumwalt School District. She describes herself as shy and kind. She is a motivated young lady with a heart for helping those around her. She enjoys listening to music, writing, and hanging out with friends. Outside of the Club, she enjoys playing basketball with dreams of being in the WNBA. Autumn, as well as Kaitlyn, Everett, and Avaya, will attend BGCSTC’s 60th Annual Gala on February 8th to share their Club experience with over 400 community stakeholders. In April, Autumn and the BGCSTC team will travel to Jefferson City to compete for the statewide title of Junior Youth of the Year and participate in a legislative day of advocacy.

Locally sponsored by Toyota Missouri and Zach Plackemeier State Farm Agency and nationally sponsored by Toyota, and Kohl’s Cares, the Junior Youth of the Year program provides opportunities for local youth to gain essential career skills and increase their confidence. Club youth become motivated to seek opportunities for leadership and to act as responsible citizens and change agents.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County

Celebrating 70 years of service in 2025, Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County (BGCSTC) provides a safe, nurturing environment where kids and teens can thrive. Offering caring mentors, enriching programs, and opportunities for growth, BGCSTC promotes academic success, leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Serving youth ages 5-18 through after-school programs, summer camps, and community events, BGCSTC empowers young people to become responsible, caring, and productive citizens. Learn more on bgcstc.org, Facebook, and LinkedIn.