photo by: Contributed

Arabella Gipp is pictured at the state capital in Topeka.

Arabella Gipp, who was selected as Lawrence’s Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, was the runner-up for the statewide Youth of the Year competition.

Gipp is a senior at Lawrence High School, and this year was her third time representing Lawrence at the state level. Her speech at the ceremony reflected on all the major life events she has experienced alongside Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence.

There were six candidates who traveled to Topeka to compete in the statewide competition. Gipp and the other candidates gathered at The Pennant the night before for dinner and games. They met with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to share a teen perspective on getting their cybersecurity message out to youth, then participated in interviews with the panel of judges. Afterward, they returned to the Townsite Tower for the evening’s dinner and ceremony.

The group also visited the Capitol building to meet with legislators, gain insights into government processes and procedures and emphasize the significance of after-school programming. Rep. Barbara Ballard and Sen. Marci Francisco, both of Lawrence, participated in the event and gave Gipp the opportunity to shadow them throughout the day.

“Hearing stories and experiences from Club kids, from all areas in Kansas, shows the impact of our programs and really solidifies why we do what we do,” said Laci Maltbie, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence. “Arabella spoke with such confidence, pride and authenticity, and has been with the Club for so long, I couldn’t ask for a better representative for Lawrence.”

While Gipp’s Youth of the Year journey and her time at the club is coming to an end, she is excited for what the future holds. Gipp said in the press release that she will continue to be in contact with mentors at the club along with the friends she made along the way.

“My next steps are graduating high school and going to Johnson County Community College to major in graphic design,” Gipp said in the press release. “I will hopefully still be working at the Club while I stay in Lawrence during college.”