Thursday, October 1, 2026
Kurt Cavalier Jr., of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County, has been named the “2025 Washington State Youth of the Year” following a three-day leadership challenge at the Bell Harbor International Event Center in Seattle that ended on March 27.
Natalia S.R. of Joint Base Lewis-McChord was also awarded “2025 Washington State Military Youth of the Year.”
A statement released by the clubs stated that the program began on March 25, when finalists arrived in Olympia and attended a reception at the Governor’s Mansion.
The following day, on March 26, the teens gathered for breakfast at a local club, and then “engaged with corporate human resources leaders in the area to learn about interview techniques.”
At the next stop, they traveled north for speech preparation at another club. The teens also toured Seattle by a “limo ride” and stopped at Kerry Park for snacks and photos.
On March 27, the club members participated in interviews and delivered speeches at Bell Harbor before a panel of judges.
Later that evening, the winners were announced at a dinner attended by club leaders, youth mentors, families and sponsors.
The association acknowledged the impact of the finalists and extended appreciation to the supporters behind them.
“Each finalist had the opportunity to share their personal story with the Celebration audience. All youth received a $500 scholarship, and several finalists were recognized with additional merit scholarships,” the Boys & Girls Clubs Washington State Association said.
In addition to receiving the state title, Cavalier was also selected for the Community Service Scholarship. The organization announced that Cavalier was recognized for his “outstanding dedication to work in their community.”
Meanwhile, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County described the award as “a remarkable honor” that positions Cavalier to have an “outstanding leadership, resilience, and commitment to making a difference.”
“This is an incredible accomplishment, and we couldn’t be prouder of Kurt,” the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County said in a statement.
Building on this success, Cavalier is set to advance and represent Washington at the 2025 Pacific Region Youth of the Year competition in Los Angeles.
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KatAshe
Just a thought for readers.
When my partner of many years died, he had rather recently purchased a quite basic HP laptop, which I had no need for. After much searching as to where this laptop could make the biggest difference, I chose our local Boys and Girls club. After having the laptop reset to néw, my donation went to a club member, a young woman in foster care that was being mentored by the club, and was about to graduate from high school and would be going onto to college in a few months.
Please, anyone with a relatively recent laptop they no longer need, consider donating to our local club.
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Report this
ChuckCross
IMPRESSIVE!! HAT'S OFF TO YOU KURT!
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Report this