Pary Chahal Named 2013 Youth of the Year
March 26, 2013
Selected among several local outstanding youth, Pary Chahal will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the Michigan Youth of the Year title and a $1,000 college scholarship from Tupperware Brands Corporation. As the 2013 Youth of the Year honoree for the Boys & Girls Club of Troy, 17-year old Pary is among hundreds of teens across the country being recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for sound character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community.
BGCA’s premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. The program encourages Club members to reach their full potential by achieving academic success, leading healthy lifestyles and contributing to their communities.
"We are extremely pleased that Pary has been chosen to represent the Boys & Girls Club of Troy as its 2013 Youth of the Year,” said club director Tom Gorman. "Pary sets a tremendous example for our members, and we know that he has an outstanding future ahead of him.”
A senior at the International Academy, Pary maintains a 4.03 GPA and is active in many school groups including robotics, orchestra and High School Engineering Institute. He volunteers at his temple, performing service tasks on weekends, as well as at the American Red Cross, assisting with blood draws and other activities. Pary, who has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club for 10 years and during which time has acted as a mentor and role model for other Club members, aspires to study biomedical engineering at Michigan State University.
"The Boys & Girls Club is a second home for me. From the time I moved to Troy to the present I made lifelong friends coming to the Club,” said Pary. "The Boys & Girls Club has done so much for me, the time for me to repay it is to represent them at the Youth of the Year competition.”
The winner of the Michigan Youth of the Year title, which will be determined at a competition in April, will vie for the Regional Youth of the Year distinction and an additional $10,000 scholarship from Tupperware Brands, the recognition program’s national sponsor. Five regional winners will advance to Washington, D.C., in September to compete for the national title. The National Youth of the Year will receive an additional scholarship of up to $50,000 from The Rick and Susan Goings Foundation and will have the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama at the White House.
Pary emerged from an initial field of 16 nominees for the Boys & Girls Club of Troy Youth of the Year competition. Following an application process and essay competition, the field was narrowed to four finalists, who presented speeches and were judged by a panel of distinguished community members: Andrew Allen, chair of the ITT Technical Institute School of Criminal Justice; Cheryl Green, regional manager at PNC Bank and Boys & Girls Club of Troy board member; and Deborah Johnson, visiting assistant professor for the Madonna University College of Nursing.
The Boys & Girls Club of Troy is a non-profit youth development organization that provides educational and recreational activities, in addition to mentoring programs, to more than 1,200 children, ages 6 to 18, in the tri-county area. For over 35 years, the Club has given youth a platform which allows them to develop into self-reliant, responsible, contributing members of the community.
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve nearly 4 million children and teens through Club membership and community outreach.
