Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) proudly announces the 2025-26 Youth of the Year (YOY) winner, 16-year old Marleyna S. of the Bethalto Club. Marleyna now holds the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can achieve. 
The Youth of the Year is a signature youth recognition program celebrating recipients’ contributions to their Club, family, school, and community.Marleyna was named Youth of the Year at the 31st Annual Great Futures Gala on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Energizer Park, home of St. Louis CITY SC. The gala is the organization’s largest fundraising event. Marleyna will represent the Club for the remainder of 2025 and 2026 as a Brand Ambassador. She receives a $5,000 scholarship, and a car courtesy of our loyal partners at Frank Leta Automotive.
Marleyna is a proud member of the Boys & Girls Club of Bethalto. Her favorite part about Boys & Girls Clubs is STEM and healthy habits. Marleyna’s Great Futures plan is to become a Veterinary Technician.
The YOY runner-ups are also outstanding teens and Club members, who will each receive scholarship funds. Congratulations to the following:
Fourth place winner ($500) – Aliyah P. (Teen Center of Excellence)
Third place winner ($1,000) – Logan W. (Teen Center of Excellence)
Second place winner ($2,500) – Austin N.
Congratulations to the ambitious YOY Final Four! BGCSTL President/CEO Brandon Williams quipped, “What a magical evening. Congratulations to our amazing Youth of the Year finalists!” This year marked Williams first Gala as the leader of BGCSTL.
For a deeper understanding of how the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis positively affects our community, we invite you to visit www.bgcstl.org.
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About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. BGCSTL provides after-school, teen, sports and summer programs to youth across the Bi-State Region while also providing a safe place for them to learn and grow. The Clubs serve youth across the region at six locations, including (Adams Park Club, Bethalto Club, Hazelwood Elementary School Club, Herbert Hoover Club, Mathews-Dickey Club, and the Teen Center of Excellence). We also operate Mentor St. Louis and the St. Louis Internship Program.
