Friday, February 23, 2007 Youth of the Year award winner noted for honestyHOLLAND TOWNSHIP
By ROEL GARCIA Staff writer
Kevin Orellana's honesty pervaded his speech prior to being announced the Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holland. Orellana admitted to a shaky start with the club, having been suspended from the club in the fourth grade and then a few years later suspended from a major basketball game for throwing a ball at another team's player. Then Orellana talked about the changes in his life as he continued his 11-year journey with the club, pointing out certain influential staff members, becoming emotional at times. "I never in my life, when I look at the individual plaques of the youths of the year on the (club's) walls, did I ever think I had the potential to do it," said Orellana, 18, a Holland High senior. Andy Page, the club's executive director, said Orellana is one of the most honest people he's run across at the club. "He's the type of person who's always going to identify with areas he needs to work on," Page said. "He's fueled by the fact that he's learned from his mistakes and uses it for good." Five area youths were up for the award Thursday night at Macatawa Bank: four from Holland High School and one from West Ottawa High School. The youth of the year is an important event for the area, said Mary Carrizales, the club's director of program development. "We work with lots of kids but only four or five are nominated each year for the award," Carrizales said. "Out of that, only one is youth of the year." Youths are nominated for the award in October by club staff. They then go through a process that includes attending weekly meetings and writing their speeches, culminating with the award ceremony. Judges not affiliated with the club choose the youth of the year. Orellana will go on to the state competition in March in Toledo, Ohio. Ohio and Michigan share the ceremony where each state's respective youth of the year is awarded. Orellana, of Zeeland, plans to attend Muskegon Community College after his senior year. The organization first awarded a youth with the honor in 1996. It has 1,300 members. | 
