By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Jenna Lightsey, the 2020 Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson Youth of the Year will compete this week with other chapter winners in the state competition.
"As a Vision Leader, I loved seeing those kids brighten up as soon as they got off of the bus," Lightsey said. "It gave them a sense of happiness and stress relief from their normal day at school, when they come in and they find those activities to do and the people to see. I feel like that was the part that really made me happy in what I saw every day."
Lightsey intends to continue to work with kids in the long run.
"I want to become an elementary school teacher when I finish with college," Lightsey said. "It's definitely one of my passions."
Because Lightsey is currently working as a Certified Nurses Aide, it's hard to get the time she wants to help in the club right now, but she said the award process has boosted her confidence.
"At first I thought that I wasn't able to make something like that happen," Lightsey said. "I didn't think I had enough confidence in myself to do something like that, but when I pushed through and I got this award, I was so happy. I was crying from it, because I didn't think that I could do it at first. I was just so proud of myself and so happy that I could support the club like that and that they could see that support."
Lightsey said she tells kids she's mentoring that there's nothing that can stop them from having big ambitions, but that they have to put the work in and there are people at the club to help. The statewide competition will happen virtually on April 1. Lightsey won a $1000 scholarship from Heartland Credit Union at the chapter level in December.