Nicole Burney Named Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year
L/R: Branch Director Jameson Robison, Nicole Burney, Grants Manager Elizabeth La
Staff Photo by Jake Depew
Nicole Burney, a local young lady has been named the Dumplin Valley Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year. Every month the club selects a youth of the month from K-2nd, 3rd-5th, and 6th and higher grades based on the totality of a youth’s character. Grades are a factor, but improvement, willingness to help and participate in the club, and a variety of other daily examples of character are evaluated. Youth of the Year is the highest honor that any branch of the Boys and Girls Club can award, and the recipient must be age 14 or older, maintain a C average, and have been a member for two years. Nicole, 15, is the adopted daughter of her cousins Sharon and Jim Burney, and has been a member of the club for seven years, attending as a homeschool student through Gateway Christian Academy. She also has a history with the Youth of the Year competition, being a runner-up in last year’s event. Nicole has stated that when she first came to the Boys and Girls Club she was shy, and that helping the Club in any way she could, including using her story of personal hardship and triumph to help others, was a way of giving back to the club that tried to break her out of her shell.
Judging by the fact that the Youth of the Year competition includes numerous essays and public speeches in front of judges, it seems the Boys and Girls Club was successful, with Branch Director Jameson Robison stating, “She’s overcome so much, but stands firm for what she believes in, and does so with a smile. I look up to Nicole in a lot of ways.”
Contestants in the Youth of the Year state competition got to go on an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville, where the B+G Club spent time with our legislators. The trip lasted three days, from March 30 – April 1, and also saw the youths’ performing community service and attending a Predators game in the skybox. Judges from the competition included donors, TN Titans, military servicemen, and university representatives. As Dumplin Valley’s Youth of the Year, Nicole received a scholarship, from anonymous donors, which she used to buy herself a laptop to assist in her school work. Chief Professional Officer Jessica Page stated, “As the leader of this organization, and having been a part of the Boys and Girls Club for 16 years, this program is the best in recognizing youth and how their story truly makes a difference. I am blessed to be here and do what I get to do. I am thankful for this community and all the support we are given.”
Nicole will continue to appear as a representative of the Boys and Girls Club, and will compete again next year to take another swing at the state championship, as participants can refine their telling of their story over multiple years to hone their skills. Beyond her primary education, Nicole aspires to go to college and then on to medical school to be a doctor.
