photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Laila Reetz, center, a sophomore at Free State High School, was named 2026 Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Tuesday night. She is seen here with the emcees of the evening, Trei Wells, left, and Nayalisa Cuevas.

Laila Reetz, a sophomore at Free State High School, was named the 2026 Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence.

Reetz was announced as the winner Tuesday night during an event at the Lied Center, 1600 Stewart Drive. Youth of the Year is the premier recognition program for Boys & Girls Clubs across the country and it highlights the relationships members develop with the Club from as early as kindergarten through high school.

Reetz and the two other nominees in Lawrence — Liv Abbey, a senior at Free State High School and Leah Anderson, a junior at Free State High School — shared their individual stories with the audience. The three nominees had already been through interviews with judges as well as scoring of their essays and short answer questions.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

The three nominees for 2026 Youth of the Year for Lawrence wait onstage for the winner to be named. From left to right: Olivia Abbey, a senior at Free State High School; Laila Reetz, the winner and sophomore from Free State High School; and Leah Anderson, a junior at Free State High School

As part of her speech, Reetz said that she realized quickly that the Boys & Girls Club was a place where she could grow. She said it was especially important in giving her a “bigger support system” when she was in middle school. She said she could be “open and honest” with one of the youth leaders — Miss Aneesha — who was also her biggest cheerleader during that time.

One of the themes Reetz shared during her speech was the belief in “yet.” She shared when she was younger, she was scared to try new things in different programs. Being a part of the Club gave her new opportunities to get more involved, and some of the lessons and growth she got from mentors motivated her to join the girl’s wrestling team at Free State. That mindset was a big part of the message she shared in her speech.

“Although you might not believe in yourself yet, you will get there,” Reetz said.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Laila Reetz gives her speech during the 2026 Youth of the Year event for the Boys & Girls Club Lawrence. The ceremony took place Tuesday night at the Lied Center, 1600 Stewart Drive.

Reetz said she hopes that she can find a way to help others feel included and be a role model. She said she hopes to pursue a career as a children’s therapist or a lawyer, and Reetz said she wants to continue wrestling after high school.

After the ceremony, Reetz said she felt “really good” to earn the honor of Youth of the Year. She enjoyed making new friends as part of going through the process, and hopes to continue to do more things like this.

Rick Jaimez, Reetz’s father, told the Journal-World that seeing her on stage was a “proud moment” as a parent. He felt her work with the Boys & Girls Club helped her gain more confidence, which has been “awesome” to see as a parent.

“I think she’s really grown a lot in the last (couple years),” Jaimez said.

Trei Wells, the 2012 National Youth of the Year and employee and volunteer recruiter for the Boys & Girls Club, and Nayalisa Cuevas, the director of employee and member engagement for the Boys & Girls Club, served as the emcees for the evening.

Reetz will now go on to represent Lawrence in the state competition. State winners advance to regional and then national competitions.

Along with the announcement of the Youth of the Year award, the Club also featured its Junior Youth of the Year participants during the Tuesday ceremony. One fifth grader from all 11 Lawrence elementary school Boys & Girls Club sites were selected to share what participation in the Club has meant to them. Judges selected Jensen Aitken, from Woodlawn Elementary, as the Junior Youth of the Year.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Along with the naming of the winner of Lawrence’s 2026 Youth of the Year on Tuesday night, the ceremony featured dance performances from three different elementary school groups and the Junior Youth of the Year program.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

The audience watches the annual Lawrence Youth of the Year ceremony on Tuesday night at the Lied Center, 1600 Stewart Drive.