Brendan Gladney has joined a short, but ever-growing list of students from Redstone’s Youth Center to be named Military Youth of the Year for the state of Alabama.
Gladney is the seventh state winner since Yolande Lewis started the program at the Youth Center in 2016.
The award is part of a Boys & Girls Clubs of America program that celebrates 14- to 18-year-old military-connected youth for “their commitment to community service, academic success, good character and citizenship and establishing long-term goals,” according to the club’s website.
The program starts with local competitions and progresses to a state-level, a regional-level, and ultimately a national stage. Gladney will now move on to compete in the regional contest.
The competition consists of writing essays, giving speeches and being interviewed by panelists.
None of which, by his own admission, was Gladney’s strong suit.
“Youth of the Year is something that changed my life,” he said. “I’m grateful for the experience and everyone who has pushed me.”
A speech Gladney prepared for the competition focused on the challenges he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected his social life, his grades and how returning to the Youth Center turned all of that around.
“When Ms. Yolande (Lewis) and Ms. Jeanine (Bailey, the Youth Center’s director) found out my grades were slipping, they made me go into the homework lab every day – whether it was at the door or when they’d find me in the gym after I would sneak past the front desk – they would make me go every day.” Gladney said.
That was just one way being at the Youth Center had a positive effect.
“I was able to meet people who I could talk to about my problems, and they could talk to me about their problems,” he said. “Hearing what people my age were going through helped me realize something – everyone needs someone to go to when they’re struggling.”
In addition to the help with his grades and the connections he was able to make with others his age, being at the Youth Center also meant Amarr Ash, who mentors competitors, Lewis and Bailey could encourage Gladney to compete in the Youth of the Year competition.
One of the benefits of the competition, as Ash explained, is learning to use your voice on other’s behalf.
“When you win Youth of the Year, you are the representative for whatever level you won at,” Ash, youth technology lead at the Youth Center and former Alabama Youth of the Year, said.
“So, when he won in early February, Brendan Gladney was the Youth of the Year for this Youth Center. He represented the 125 kids that came through this building.”
Ash added that since Gladney had won on the state level, he now will have an opportunity to represent military-connected youth throughout the state.
“It is a big responsibility,” Ash said.
The regional competitions take place in June.
Next year, the team behind preparing the students to compete in the annual competition will be a little different. Lewis will be retiring.
“I think I have passed the baton to two very capable people – Jeanine and Amarr,” Lewis said. “I feel like I’m leaving the program in very good hands.”
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