Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana is thrilled to announce this years Acadiana Youth of the Year, Zykeiveyun Narcisse, from our Iberia Club!
Zykeiveyun (17) is a Senior at Westgate Highschool. He has been a member of the Iberia Club for 8 years and is now giving back to his Club as an AmeriCorps member, teaching the younger kids some of the lessons he's learned while at the Club.
Zykeiveyun's earliest memory of the Club (at age 7) involved a fight due to peer pressure and a conversation with his Director that sticks with him to this day. The lessons he learned about de-escalation, when faced with conflict, has allowed him to "set aside his pride and talk through differences with others". Zykeiveyun said that "as a result of this incident, I took pride in taking initiative in more difficult situations." The BGCA staff took notice of these changes and positioned Zykeiveyun in a leadership role teaching and coaching others.
Iberia Unit Director Brianna Davis says "His knowledge of team building and recruitment has been a huge asset to our teen population. As a member, Zykeiveyun assisted in creating a teen panel that resulted in our teen population increasing by 38%."
Zykeiveyun's got big dreams! Hi passion for football has led him to train Club youth in drills and he is looking to create his own flag football league using the lessons he's learned growing up watching his idol Bill Belichick. Another of his passions is cooking. Zykeiveyun hopes to one day own a soul food restaurant.
Zykeiveyun will be representing the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana at the Louisiana State Youth of the Year competition in April!
Representing our local Clubs in the competition were Devin Segura (Jackie Club), Mckinsey Nicholas (Vermilion Club) and Aziana Gobert (Granberry Club).
Each year, one exceptional Club member is selected to be the National Youth of the Year, serving as an ambassador for Boys & Girls Club youth. Becoming National Youth of the Year is an exciting and inspiring journey. Each year, thousands of Club teens participate in local, state and regional Youth of the Year events. The National Youth of the Year is a role model, leader and advocate for over 4.6 million youth served by Boys & Girls Clubs each year, and all of America’s young people.