Central Minnesota Teen Reflects on “Full Circle” Win ahead of National Youth of the Year competition

(KNSI) – A Central Minnesota teenager who was just named the 2026 Midwest Region Youth of the Year says the moment her name was called still hasn’t fully sunk in.

Brook’Lynn H., a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota, said she went into the regional competition simply hoping to enjoy time with the other finalists, not necessarily to win. She had to deliver her speech and complete her interview early in the day, then wait until 7:00 p.m. to learn the results. “I was feeling very anxious, and then when I heard my name get called, it just all went over my head. I was extremely excited and I just couldn’t believe it. It was a moment I’m still really shocked about.”

The road to that moment started months earlier with a written resume, a cover letter, three personal essays, and a memorized speech of three minutes or less, all submitted well before competition day and locked in from that point on. She said she wasn’t able to revise any of it once it was turned in. At each level of competition, she faced a panel of judges, growing from two judges locally to four at the state level to seven at regionals, along with an interview covering roughly eight questions she didn’t see in advance.

The win comes with a $20,000 college scholarship, bringing her total earned through the competition to $42,500, which includes the $20,000 Home Team Scholarship and the $2,500 she was awarded in March as Minnesota’s Youth of the Year.

Brook’Lynn has been a Club member for 13 years, since kindergarten, and said the organization shaped who she is today. “The Boys and Girls Club means home to me. It’s the place where I found my voice, I built my confidence, and I discovered who I am and who I wanted to become.”

She credited the Club with introducing her to the legal field, recalling a college tour it organized that included a stop at the University of Minnesota Law School. That experience, she said, pushed her toward pursuing law herself.

Looking back on everything the Club has given her, Brook’Lynn said it’s changed how she views her own experiences.
“It’s taught me that my story and my club experience has true power, and I can use it to make a difference in the lives that matter to me most.”

Brook’Lynn now advances to the National Youth of the Year competition, where she’ll represent the Midwest region on October 1st in New York City against finalists from other regions across the country, plus the winner of the separate Military Youth of the Year competition. A national title would come with an additional $50,000 college scholarship.

She graduated this year from Cathedral High School in St. Cloud. This August, she plans to head to New Orleans, Louisiana, to major in criminal justice and minor in social work, with hopes of attending law school afterward. Howard University Law School is currently her top choice. She said she’s most drawn to civil rights law and family law, careers she sees as a way to advocate and speak up for people who can’t speak up for themselves. She also serves on Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth Advisory Council and plans to stay involved with the organization, including volunteering at a Club near her college campus, as her own journey continues.

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