Southwest region teems were honored by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) as the Southwest Youth of the Year and Southwest Military Youth of the Year May 16. The prestigious awards also included $20,000 in scholarships.
Ximena V., from McAllen, Texas, received the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2025 Southwest Youth of the Year Award. Summer H., from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, received the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2025 Southwest Military Youth of the Year Award.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America hosted the Southwest Youth of the Year Celebration at The Star in Frisco honoring the region’s most inspiring teens for their outstanding leadership, service, academic excellence, and dedication to health and well-being. The Youth of the Year celebration showcased the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s mission to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
These standout youth serve as role models for their generations and represent the very best of the Southwest region as the voice, spirit and hope of America.
BGCA Honors Southwest Youth of the Year
The gala event was hosted by Emmy-nominated TV host Amy Vanderoef, and included a Champion of Youth Award ceremony honoring Jerry Jones, Owner, President & General Manager of the Dallas Cowboys. Jones is also a Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame member, and former Club Kid of the Boys Club of North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Champion of Youth Award presentation to Jerry Jones was by Demarcus Ware and BGCA President & CEO Jim Clark.
A performance from the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blue and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders was also featured, along with a special youth performance by Montgomery from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. Empowering personal Club stories from four of the teen finalists was also included on the program. Scholarships were awarded to the Southwest Youth of the Year and Southwest Military Youth of the Year.
Karen Ideno, 2025 Southwest Regional Chair, Board of Governors, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, also attended the event along with 2025 Southwest Youth of the Year candidates and Club advisors.
BGCA Youth of the Year
The Youth of the Year (//bgca.org/yoy) program is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier youth recognition initiative. It celebrates outstanding teens who are committed to leadership, service, and academic excellence. Each year, Boys & Girls Club members across the country participate in local, state, and regional Youth of the Year events, culminating in the selection of the National Youth of the Year.
As the Signature Sponsor of Youth of the Year, Kohl’s, through Kohl’s Cares, empowers Boys & Girls Clubs through staff training in trauma-informed care and curriculum updates that support youth mental health and wellbeing within the Youth of the Year program.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org)
For more than 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Over 5,500 Clubs serve more than 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach.
BGCA Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. The national headquarters is located in Atlanta. BGCA sponsors are dedicated to supporting this event and the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Platinum sponsors include: Toyota and Sapphire Sponsors include: Keurig Dr Pepper.
