On February 24th, three Montana youths were honored at the Montana Youth of the Year banquet in Helena for having overcome an extraordinary amount of adversity in their young lives.
Speakers at the event included Attorney General Steve Bullock and Representative Wendy Warburton, both of whom spoke with warm appreciation for the work that Boys & Girls Clubs do all across the state.
The BGC of the Hi-Line honored Shawna Cary, who has attended the HI-Line Club since it opened in 2002. After a turbulent childhood, Shawna has emerged as a strong and confident young lady. She is an active member of Keystone and ReACT, and performs well in school. She plans to pursue a career in photography.
Just before the competition, Shawna fell ill and was unable to attend the event in person. As a result, she became the first candidate in the history of the event to participate via webcam.
At the banquet, the judges announced Kenny Painter of Billings  as this year’s
Montana Youth of the Year. Kenny will travel to Texas in July for the regional competition.