Sioux City, Iowa - Ricky Obbink has been named Iowa Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club.
In February, Obbink was named the Siouxland Youth of the Year and advanced to the statewide competition. Now, he will head to Chicago to compete in the regional competition.
Obbink, a freshman at West High, has been part of the Boys & Girls Club for three years and works in the kitchen in the afternoons, serving meals for students.
Youth of the Year is an award given by Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation. The award is intended to foster a "new generation of leaders" and gives students post-secondary education scholarships.
Lindsey Butler of the Siouxland Boys & Girls Club said Youth of the Year is the top student recognition in the program.
"It's really who kind of embodies what the club means and what we represent, which is a lot of other things than just leadership," Butler said. "They're looking for somebody who is successful academically, who lives in a healthy lifestyle and helps others live healthy lifestyles, has great character and citizenship, and who puts others before themselves."
Butler said Obbink stands out because of the work he does in the club and the role model he is for the students.
"Both the teens and younger members, he makes sure that he is modeling behavior that he wants to see in others, being kind to everybody, helping others when they need it," Butler said.
Read more about Ricky Obbink in this Sioux City Journal article by Caitlin Yamada.