Boys & Girls Club Blog

The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh is pleased to announce the 2017 Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh Youth of the Year winner – Hayllie Sorenson. Each year a local Youth of the Year committee interviews a number of high school students at the Club judging them on their service to the Club, community, and family; academic success; strong moral character; life goals; and poise and public speaking ability before selecting a Youth of the Year winner for the organization.

In January, Hayllie competed against three other local Club members for the title and ultimately won. As the Oshkosh Club’s 2017 Youth of the Year, Hayllie was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the Boys & Girls Club’s Charles F. Hyde, Jr. Youth of the Year Scholarship Endowment.

From here, Youth of the Year winners from local Boys & Girls Clubs across the state will travel to Green Bay to compete for the state title in March. Hayllie will compete against a total of sixteen other Club members for the title of Wisconsin State Youth of the Year. If she wins the state title, Hayllie also would receive a $5,000 scholarship from BGCA and Disney and a $1,500 scholarship from the Boys & Girls Clubs Wisconsin Area Council.

Hayllie is a senior at Oshkosh West High School and plans to pursue higher education at Fox Valley Technical College to prepare for a career in the culinary arts. She has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh for eleven years, since she was six years old. During her time at the Club, she’s been involved in many programs including Keystone, the Professional Workshop, Power Hour Homework Help, Girls Fit, Career Launch, Money Matters and Teen Cuisine. She currently serves as the Keystone Leadership Club president.

Hayllie has also given back to her community in many ways over the years through her involvement with the Club. As a part of one of her Keystone projects, she took a leadership role in helping create a “resource wall” at the Club to raise awareness and help prevent suicide amongst her peers. For the past five years she has also raked leaves for elderly and disabled Oshkosh residents as a part of the STEP Up anti-bullying program. This past summer, Hayllie also worked as a volunteer distributing food at a Feed America food drive that was held at the Club.

In Hayllie’s own words, “The Club is the most important thing in my life. I’ve been going since I was six years old and in that time there has always been someone there for me, every time I’ve walked in the door, no matter what it was I was going through, someone has been there to lift me up and I will always be grateful for that.”

“Hayllie truly believes in herself and has changed her life in so many ways in order to achieve her dreams and goals.” said Teen Center Director, Tiffanie Bolling. “She has overcome so much, and I couldn’t be more proud of the woman she’s transformed herself into!”

“We are so proud of Hayllie and look forward to all that she will accomplish academically and professionally in the next few years and most of all to how she ultimately will give back to her community,” added CEO, Marc Dosogne.

Please join the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oshkosh in congratulating Hayllie in all of her accomplishments and Youth of the Year title.