photo by: Contributed photo/Jason Dailey Photography

Free State High School junior Pranav Vogeti speaks during the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence's 2021 Youth of the Year ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. A panel of judges selected Pranav, who was one of four candidates who spoke, for the award.

Repeatedly relocating throughout his life made it hard for Free State High School junior Pranav Vogeti to cultivate friendships, he recalled last week. But all of that changed when his family moved to Lawrence and he joined the local Boys & Girls Club, where he has been named the 2021 Lawrence Youth of the Year.

In a speech at the Boys & Girls Club’s Youth of the Year event, Vogeti said his family had moved three other times before coming to Lawrence. He said that just when he felt like he’d become more social at his last school, he had to leave and start over in Lawrence. But after the move, he found a support structure in the Boys & Girls Club that helped him grow.

“I thought to myself, ‘How many more times? When will these moves end?'” Vogeti said. “Although I didn’t know it, Lawrence would be the place where I would truly learn about myself.”

Vogeti’s speech about his experiences was one of four speeches given during the Youth of the Year event, an annual ceremony that aims to honor members of the Boys & Girls Club who embody its values of leadership service, academic excellence and healthy lifestyles. After the speeches, a panel of judges — including Basketball Hall of Fame member Lynette Woodard and former Kansas City Royals player Alex Gordon — selected Vogeti as the winner.

In his speech, Vogeti, the son of Lakshminarayana and Subha Vogeti, said the club’s sports and technology programs allowed him to explore his interests and connect with his peers. Those experiences made him more comfortable socially and helped him build the courage to “step out and speak up,” he said.

The other three candidates were Azura Clark, a Lawrence High freshman; Akosua Danso, a Free State junior; and Avion Nelson, a Lawrence High junior. They recalled their own experiences and how the club has helped them, according to a club news release. One of them spoke about enduring racist name calling as a child; another said she had experienced a lifetime of firsts through the club.

photo by: Contributed photo/Jason Dailey Photography

The 2021 Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence’s Youth of the Year candidates included Pranav Vogeti, left, a Free State High School junior; Azura Clark, center-left, a Lawrence High School freshman; Akosua Danso, center-right, a Free State junior; and Avion Nelson, right, an LHS junior. They are pictured here with Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals, who was one of the judges for the event.

When he accepted the award, Vogeti praised the other candidates and said the most important part of the contest wasn’t who won, but that all of them had a platform to share their stories.

“It’s not necessarily about winning, and it’s not about being the No. 1 candidate. It’s more about giving us a voice,” he said. “With my platform, I was able to connect with others. Honestly, I have to give a lot of credit to the other candidates. They were simply amazing.”

While the candidates gave their speeches in person at Liberty Hall, which is the normal location for the event, the venue was almost empty. The speeches were streamed online as a safety precaution because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the change in procedure, Monica Dittmer, CEO of the local club, said she was happy with the result.

“We weren’t sure how it would go, being a virtual event this year, but we had so many folks at home tuned in because they know what a magnificent event this is,” Dittmer said. “They know how incredible these young people are.”

As the local winner, Vogeti will go on to represent Lawrence in the state competition. Alissa Bourneuf, a spokeswoman for the club, said the state competition would be held virtually on March 24. The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence has produced the Kansas Youth of the Year in five of the last eight years, with Ruth Gathunguri in 2018 and 2019 being the most recent. The winner of the state competition will go on to represent Kansas in a regional competition with a chance to earn a spot in the national competition.