The 2010 Arizona State Youth of the Year Legislative Breakfast presented by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl took place on Tuesday, April 13, at the Sheraton Downtown in Phoenix from 7:15 am – 8:30 am.

 
Congratulations to the 2010 Arizona State Youth of the Year!

Romonia Dixon
Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley

Eighteen-year-old Romonia Dixon of Tempe was named Boys & Girls Club State Youth of the Year at the 10th Annual Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs Legislative Breakfast presented by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on the morning of Tuesday, April 13. Dixon, a four-year member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley’s Ladmo Branch in Tempe takes home a $1,000 scholarship from Readers Digest an $1,800 scholarship from the Fiesta Bowl, $1,000 scholarship from Tupperware and a $2,000 scholarship from Darden Restaurants. Additionally, Dixon has already received a $20,000 educational fund from The Victoria Lund Foundation, a supporter of the East Valley Youth of the Year Banquet.

For much of Dixon’s life, her family moved from city to city and homeless shelter to shelter. Her family was split up several times just so each person could have a warm place to lay their head for the night. There were times when shelters were full and the sidewalk was their resting place. Her story is inspiring and engaging to other younger girls as she takes every opportunity she has to teach them about the importance of being a responsible, caring and productive member of society. She is part of a “Read to Me” volunteer program for kids at a shelter where she once lived. She organizes canned food drives and makes sure the park next to her Boys & Girls Club is clean. Romonia is third in her class at Tempe High School with a 3.92 GPA, is the captain of her varsity basketball team and a member of the National Honor Society. She will attend Arizona State University where she has already been accepted into the Barrett Honors College and has also been accepted into the professional program at the W.P. Carey School of Business. She wants to obtain a Masters in International Retail Management and Marketing and open up her own business some day.

The event’s three semifinalists include 17 year old Christian Rodriguez of Scottsdale, 18 year old Marcus Barnett of Phoenix and 17 year old Juliet Lace Yardy of Tucson. The remaining five candidates include:

• Julisa Gonzalez, 17 of Mohave Valley

• Jordan Douglas Chaffin, 19 of Safford

• Glenda Esquivel, 17 of Yuma

• Chelsie Jones, 17 of Bullhead City

• Shaelyn McCormack, 14 of Prescott

• Jada Branche, 14 of Luke Air Force Base

• Matthew Burke, 14 Davis Monthan Air Force Base

Lincoln Kennedy, a former NFL Pro Bowl football player, Fox Sports Radio host and Boys & Girls Clubs alumni was the event’s keynote speaker and spoke directly to the candidates. Judges for the 2010 competition included Marc Martinez, Reporter/Anchor for Fox 10 News; LuAnn Leonard, Arizona Board of Regents Member; Chuck O’Conner, Fiesta Bowl Board Member; Kerri Raichert, Governor Brewer’s Office for Children, Youth & Families and Angela Woods, Director of the Darden Foundation.

After the legislative breakfast, Dixon and other candidates visited the State Capitol where Dixon led the pledge of allegiance on the Senate floor. Dixon is now preparing for the regional competition to be held in July at Disneyland. The regional winner will then advance to the National Youth of the Year competition in Washington, D.C. in September and meet President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.

Sponsored by Reader’s Digest and Darden Restaurants, the National Youth of the Year program is designed to promote and recognize service to the community and Club, academic performance and contributions to family and spiritual life. The five regional winners will each receive a $10,000 in educational scholarship from Reader’s Digest and the overall national winner will receive a $15,000 educational scholarship..