GILLETTE, Wyo. — A Casper youth was recently announced as the Junior Youth of the Year through the Boys & Girls Clubs Area Council in a competition that drew candidates from across Wyoming.
Natailya Carver, of Casper, was selected as the 2023 Junior Youth of the Year out of eight candidates representing Boys & Girls Clubs from Laramie, Natrona, Campbell, Sweetwater, Fremont and Converse counties.
The competition was held in Casper on Oct. 27, during which each candidate gave speeches about what their respective clubs mean to them and each was interviewed by a panel of judges, per the council.
During the competition, Casper Mayor Ray Pacheco said one of the biggest things a person can do as a leader is forgive others, not just seven times but 77 times. He also said the biggest difference a leader can make in the world is in seen in how they treat other people, encouraging the youth to walk in love and spread kindness, according to an Oct. 27 release.
Per the release, each candidate was assessed based on qualities centered around service to the community and leadership at the club.
Natailya was selected for her leadership observed over the six years of her club membership. She says she loves every aspect of the club, including the supportive mentors, per the release.
The judges said it was a very difficult choice because all of the candidates were so qualified and did an amazing job with their speeches and in their interviews, according to the release.
“I am very proud of Natailya,” Casper Main Club Assistant Director Pedro Mendez said in a statement. “She works very hard every day at the Club [and] she is always willing to help other members. She is very involved in our Torch Club and is always willing to participate in our service learning projects at the Wyoming Food for Thought Project. I cannot wait to see what she does in the future!”
In addition to Natailya, the other participants were:
- Sevryn Musser, Boys & Girls Club of Campbell County
- Elizabeth Cabrera, Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne
- Kaycee Coker, Boys & Girls Club of Glenrock
- Francesca Copeland, Boys & Girls Club of Sweetwater County
- Ariadne Ennis, Boys & Girls Club of Riverton
- Levi Jackson, Boys & Girls Club of Dubois
- Indiana Moon, Boys & Girls Club of Douglas