Ryan Mejias named 2025 Youth of the Year in Lee County

FORT MYERS, Fla. - April 1, 2025 - PRLog -- Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County named Ryan Mejias, a member of the Pueblo Bonito Neighborhood Club, as its 2025 Youth of the Year.

The annual honor is given to a club member who exemplifies the virtues of good character, academic excellence, community service and strong leadership.

Mejias, a freshman at Bonita Springs High School, has been active in school activities as well as club programs for nine years.

"I discovered that I had a voice worth sharing," he said. "Although it sometimes is shaky, it could be heard. This newfound confidence became a starting point. It empowered me to take on leadership roles in small ways. I have organized activities, offered support to other members and discovered a genuine joy in helping others."

Mejias is president of the LEGO Club at the Pueblo Bonito location, a role that helped enhance his leadership skills while coaxing him out of his comfort zone. He also participates in the esports program through Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. At school, he was a participant of Class Help Out, a program to assist both classmates and teachers.

"Our Youth of the Year candidates were exceptionally talented this year, so our judges had a difficult time choosing just one member to honor," said Denise Gergley, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County.

The Youth of the Year competition started last fall as candidates completed applications and essays documenting their achievements. Community business leaders from across Lee County – Justin Stockman, Kathy Stefanski, Cheryl Neely and Peter Nguyen – served as youth mentors and provided guidance during the process to help candidates better articulate their aspirations and achievements. After whittling candidates to a pool of four teens, finalists presented a three-minute speech to a judges' panel consisting of four highly accomplished business leaders and philanthropists – Brian Rist, Sandy Youngquist, Darin McMurray and Bill Turner – who deliberated for a half-hour before selecting Mejias as Youth of the Year. The achievement comes with a $2,500 scholarship courtesy of event sponsor LMCU and Mejias is eligible to compete in a statewide Youth of the Year competition this spring.

For the next year, Mejias will serve as an ambassador for Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County and will appear at community and club events. Mejias admits he's struggled at times, but feels confident moving forward that he can handle any obstacles or challenges that come his way.