Many of us have that one person in our lives we consider a mentor. For the Baumholder Military Community Youth Center, that person is Ryan Flynn.
Flynn, the youth programs director for Baumholder Child and Youth Services, has had a significant impact on the Baumholder Military Community Youth Center. As a prior active-duty Soldier and with a deep connection to Baumholder, Flynn brings a unique perspective and understanding to his work. He not only serves as a mentor and role model but also as a guiding presence in the lives of the youth he interacts with on a daily basis. His pride and affection for Baumholder are evident in his commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of the community's young people.
“In addition to my time at the teen center, I started off my military career in Baumholder serving in the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment in 1999,” said Flynn. “Baumholder is my home away from home,” he continued with a prideful smile.
He was recently honored with the Child and Youth Services Award of Excellence for his outstanding contributions to the program.
“Mr. Flynn has made a significant difference in our Child and Youth Services program by improving efficiency, productivity, cost savings and program goals,” said Rhonda Hunter, Director or Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Under Flynn’s leadership, the Baumholder Teen Center has formed valuable partnerships with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and 4-H. This collaboration has led to numerous accolades and achievements for the Youth Center.
“Within the Youth Center, we have had the Garrison Teen Volunteer of the Year win the past four years, the 2022-23 UPS Road Code National Brand Ambassador, BGCA's European Military Youth of the Year (MYOY) the past two years, a Northeast Regional MYOY and a Legacy Keystone Club for six consecutive years,” gushed Flynn.
Not only do these accomplishments bring recognition to the Youth Center, but they also benefit the winners themselves. A few Military Youth of the Year winners--to include last year’s winner Janiyah Spruill and this year’s winner Caleb Piggé--have been invited to speak at youth development conferences worldwide, spreading awareness of the positive impact of these programs and adult role models on teens.
“These opportunities are a testament to the continued hard work of the staff in this program and all of us living up to the CYS mission and Army values,” said Flynn.
A successful road ahead
Looking ahead, Flynn and his team have a busy summer planned. Caleb Piggé, Europe’s Military Youth of the Year winner, will be attending the Northeast Regional Military Youth of the Year event in New York City. Additionally, three youth members from Baumholder will be participating in the Army Youth Leadership Forum in Massachusetts and four members will be traveling to Dallas, Texas for the BGCA National Keystone Conference in July.
“We are not resting on our laurels this summer,” claimed Flynn. “We have built a track record here of high-quality youth development and we'll continue strive to be innovators in the field moving forward, providing the youth of Baumholder and the families here the best youth programming the Army has to offer!”
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