Watertown Public Opinion | USA Today Network
Dylan Ostlund, 17, of Watertown has been named the Boys & Girls Club South Dakota Youth of the Year.
The title is bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle, according to a news release.
Applicants must be 14 to 18 and a club member for at least two years. They can earn the title through club service, volunteering, good conduct and academic performance.
Ostlund will represent the state at the Midwest Regional in July in Chicago.
He submitted essays entitled “My Personal Growth,” “What Matters to Me” and “My Boys & Girls Club Experience.” From those three essays, he delivered a speech to the state competition judges. He also submitted a complete application package with resume, cover letter and recommendation letters. Ostlund interviewed with judges from across the state through a virtual platform.
Ostlund’s goal is to encourage youth across the globe to go to the Boys and Girls Club.
“As South Dakota Youth of the Year, I plan to recruit as many teens to go to the club as possible,” he said in the release.
Thanks to a partnership with Premier Bank/Bankcard, the local youth winner also receives a $500 scholarship to help with college costs.