Paige MacKenzie has been named the Redmond/Sammamish Boys & Girls Club‘s 2011 Youth of the Year.

The Youth of the Year program is the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier youth recognition program, promoting and celebrating members’ service to club, community and family, academic performance, moral values, life goals, poise and public speaking ability. Throughout the year, each Boys & Girls Club in King County selects a Youth of the Quarter, and a Youth of the Year is selected from those candidates. The other finalists were Taylor Dixon, Molly Hart and Alex Lambert.

“It is an honor and I am really excited to go on and represent all the amazing people that work at and attend the Redmond/Sammamish Boys & Girls Club,” said MacKenzie.

A senior at Eastlake High School, MacKenzie will attend Western Washington University next fall to pursue a career in nursing.

MacKenzie has been a club member for the past 10 years and her first club experience was as a member of the before- and after-school child care program at the McAuliffe Elementary School site. From there, she graduated into the teen program, spending her summers going on daily field and camping trips. MacKenzie has been a member of the Redmond/Sammamish Keystone Club, a high school service and leadership group, for the past two years and was essential in helping grow its membership. She has also worked as a Boys & Girls Club employee in the athletic and child care departments.

The judges for the competition were Mari Greshowak, community member and club volunteer, Lynne Handlos, recreation coordinator for the City of Sammamish, Redmond/Sammamish Boys & Girls Club board of directors President Kristin Pitt and Debbie Williams, cochair of the Joshua P. Williams Foundation.

“It was an extremely difficult decision,” Pitt said. “Each finalist is a passionate, well-spoken, talented individual who has done and we have no doubt will continue to do great things as a leader in their community.”

MacKenzie will now move on to the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County Youth of the Year competition where she will compete against winners from the thirteen other King County clubs. The annual event will be held on Feb. 9, 2012 at Benaroya Hall. The county winner will move on to the state competition and potentially the regional and national level. The national Youth of the Year will receive up to a $50,000 scholarship and is installed by the President of the United States.