16-year-old Carlton Burrell of Benton Harbor is the 2025 Youth of the Year for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Southwest Michigan.

The clubs named their Youth of the Year with a ceremony at the Secret Garden in Benton Harbor his week. Ashley Williams is the director of the Boys and Girls Clubs Teen Center and tells us Burrell has really blossomed since he came to the club ten years ago.

“To see Carlton thrive the way that he has, has been amazing to see, especially for him to talk about the Safe Haven and the club and to continue to be a club member for more than 10 years is a really amazing thing to be a part of,” Williams said.

Williams says Burrell was the right fit for the award.

“Carlton had great grades, he had a great GPA, and I just felt like he would be the perfect person to be a part of Youth of the Year. So, what that process looked like, Carlton had to write essays, then you have to create a speech to kind of talk about his club experience.”

In his speech, Burrell talked about youth violence and its impact on him and those around him.

Burrell plans to study engineering after graduating next year, and Williams says he’s very much into STEM subjects and heavily involved in his favorite club program, Passport to Manhood, which is designed to empower and educate young men.

Williams says it was “heartwarming” to see young Carlton be named Youth of the Year. Now he’ll be competing for the state title of Youth of the Year.