Page 12 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2023

COAST NOTE
ARYN EADY
NAMED YOUTH OF THE YEAR
story by Cherie Ward photo courtesy of the Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast
A 17-year-old D’Iberville High School senior has been selected as the
2023 Youth of the Year
for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast, an accomplishment she’s strived for since she was in kindergarten. The organization named Aryn Eady the winner at its 56th annual meeting and Youth of the Year celebration.
“I’ve been working for this since I was a
little girl, working up to this point, and trying
to get this award,” Eady said, who mentors young children at the Boys and Girls Clubs in D’Iberville. It’s a place she’s called a second home her entire academic career and she added the Boys and Girls Clubs has provided her
with a safe and engaging learning environment throughout her life.
“They’ve taught me how to be a valuable member of society, and how to make a difference if I truly believe in something,” Eady said.
Other candidates included Zion Parsons, East Biloxi Unit in Biloxi, Shaniya Shugart, Forest Heights Unit in Gulfport, Ja'Nyia Burnett, 19th
Street Unit in Gulfport, Joseph Daniel, Qatar Center in Pass Christian, and Heaven Parkman, Hancock County Unit in Bay St. Louis.
This award honors young people for their leadership, service, and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle, and Resource Development Director Wayne Buchanan said the recognitions are a great way to honor their achievements.
“Our vision and our goal are that all of our youth graduate on time with a plan for the future,” Buchanan said. “Whatever their goals and their dreams are, the Boys and Girls Clubs are here to help them pursue that dream.”
The organization has enabled students to reach their full potential for more than seven decades.
12 | December 2023
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