Victoria Johnson, 16, of the Jack Minges unit, is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pitt County's 2009 Youth of the Year.  The 16-year-old from Greenville will be a strong representative of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pitt County. She embodies how the Club can put young people on the right path to success.  Johnson says she once struggled with behavior management and staying out of trouble, but the Club helped her deal with the issues she faced.  "I couldn't have asked for a better place to be my guide and lead me down the right path," said Johnson.

The Youth of the Year Program was founded more than 60 years ago through sponsorship by the Reader's Digest Foundation.Each unit selected a member from their Club who stood out and was seen as outstanding. Recipients from left to right for Youth of the Year were Qunesha Jones, Farmville Club; Ce'Nedra Dillard, Grady White Boats/E.R. Lewis Family Club; Mackenzie Anderson, Jarvis Club; Victoria Johnson, Jack Minges Club; and Ashley Dillahunt, Ayden Club (not pictured).

The winners from each unit received a certificate and medallion at the annual dinner in January. They each had the opportunity to give a brief speech about themselves and the importance of the Club in their lives. Next, the individuals proceeded to do a one-on-one interview with three judges from Pitt County. These judges asked the members questions about school, their family life, what the Club means to them and their plans for the future. Based on these interviews, the judges selected Johnson to represent the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pitt County as their 2009 Youth of the Year.