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.
The Youth of the Year award was presented March 1 at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers.
“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. “Boys & Girls Clubs around the country provide opportunities for children and teens to excel and reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens, and Ryan certainly is a fantastic representative of the caliber of excellence you’ll find at our clubs across 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.
In addition to Mejias, 2025 Youth of the Year finalists included Josh Hernandez (Pueblo Bonito Neighborhood Club, Bonita Springs), Raynen Russell (Park Meadows Community Club, Fort Myers) and Aubriana Taylor (Renaissance Preserve Neighborhood Club, Fort Myers). Each finalist received a $1,000 scholarship through Florida Prepaid, and Jeweler Mark Loren of Mark Loren Designs presented finalists with custom jewelry pieces to commemorate their achievements.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County also recognized five younger club members as Junior Youth of the Year finalists: Ashley Garcia (Pueblo Bonito Neighborhood Club, Bonita Springs), Camden Sprouse (Park Meadows Community Club, Fort Myers), Makayla Bazelais (Lehigh Acres Community Club, Lehigh Acres), Scarlett Ardinez (Lehigh Acres Community Club, Lehigh Acres) and Telicia Carter (Lehigh Acres Community Club, Lehigh Acres).
All finalists and winners received gift bags and laptops or tablets courtesy of LMCU.
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.
“While my life didn’t start as a Disney fairy tale,” he said, “my future still could be and end with a happily ever after.”
