News

Taerek Daniel named Youth of the Year

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 17, 2017

Taerek Daniel, a 17-year old senior at Hendersonville High School, was named the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County Youth of the Year at the 2017 Gratitude Gathering and Youth of the Year competition. Daniel now advances to compete for the North Carolina title in March.

“The Club supplied plenty of positive role models for me and opened up opportunities for me to see what it was like to chase after my dreams,” Daniel remarked. “Every single individual was willing to teach me key aspects in life that would help me become the best person I could be.”
Becoming Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can achieve. The title recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and Club, as well as personal challenges overcome. As the Henderson County Youth of the Year, Daniel received a $1,000 college scholarship from Henderson County Youth of the Year Sponsor Hunter Subaru.
“As a local business serving the Hendersonville community for over 75 years, I can’t imagine a better investment than our youth, said company spokesman, Randy Hunter. “They make me hopeful for the future and our community.”
Taerek Daniel has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County for 11 years. He and three other teen candidates, Taylor Jamison, Elizabeth Serrano and Mohammed Khalafalla, were evaluated by a panel of judges based on essays, academic transcripts, speeches and interactive interviews during the January 16th competition.
“We are very proud to name Taerek our 2017 Youth of the Year winner,” said Julia Hockenberry, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County. “He is an outstanding teen with huge potential, and he leads by example. He can probably accomplish just about anything he chooses.”
If Daniel wins at the state level competition in Durham, NC, he will win an additional $5,000 scholarship and advance to compete at the regional competition, where a $10,000 scholarship is at stake. Ultimately, five regional finalists contend for the title of National Youth of the Year. The national winner receives an additional scholarship of $25,000, renewable for up to four years.
The Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County has had eight North Carolina State Youth of the Year winners in the past 13 years, including one winner who became one of five finalists for the national Youth of the Year title.