photo by: Mike Yoder

From left, Free State High School freshman Abby Benally and Free State sophomore Alex Johnson, center, congratulate Free State senior La'Ron Williams, right, after Williams was awarded the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence's 2024 Youth of the Year title on Thursday at the Lied Center. Benally and Johnson were the other two candidates for this year's award.

Free State High School senior La’Ron Williams was named the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence’s 2024 Youth of the Year on Thursday night at the Lied Center.

This was the second time that Williams, the son of Contessa Woodson and Jermell Taylor, had participated in the Youth of the Year event, as the Journal-World reported. At Boys & Girls Club, Williams participates in the club’s Ball 4 All basketball league and Keystone Club, a community service group. Williams plans to major in journalism at the University of Kansas and hopes to become a writer or public speaker.

The other two candidates for this year’s award were Alex Johnson and Abby Benally, both students at Free State. The candidates each had to deliver a speech and go through an interview with a panel of judges who scored their essays and short-answer questions.

Williams will now move on to represent Lawrence in the statewide Youth of the Year contest. The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence has produced the Kansas Youth of the Year in six of the past 11 years, most recently Lawrence High School student Arabella Gipp in 2022.