Abbeville’s Nicholas named Louisiana Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year winner

Another level of competition, another win for McKinsey Nicholas of Abbeville.
McKinsey, 18, earned the Louisiana Boys & Girls Club “Youth of the Year” over the weekend. He won the Acadiana version of the award a few months back.
McKinsey is a long-time member of the Boys & Girls Club Rodney Unit in Abbeville. He will compete for the Regional Boys & Girls Club “Youth of the Year” award in Atlanta this June.
He becomes the third Abbeville youth in seven years to earn the Louisiana Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year.
In 2015, Abbeville’s Bre’Jai Roberton won the award. Then in 2020, Abbeville High’s Zontré Scott also won the state award.
“It is a big accomplishment,” said McKinsey about winning. “I am so blessed to win this award and represent Louisiana.”
He won a $2,500 college scholarship.
Since 1947, the Youth of the Year award has been the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program. Each year, one Boys & Girls Club member is chosen for the role of National Youth of the Year from clubs across the
country.
McKinsey will go on to compete in the Southeast Regional Youth of the Year competition in June in hopes of becoming eligible for the National Youth of the Year honor. The National Youth of the Year serves as an ambassador for Boys & Girls Club.
McKinsey, a two-sport athlete, took the competition seriously, especially at the district level. He contacted Zontre Scott of Abbeville High, a former district and state Boys and Girls Club winner, and got major pointers. Scott and members of the Abbeville Boys and Girls Club prepared McKinsey with writing a special essay to draw the judges in and make them understand what the Boys and Girls Club means to him.
Once he won the region, McKinsey worked even harder preparing for the state level. He practiced answering questions that the state judges may ask him.
When he walked out of the interview room at the state level, he walked back to his table and told his mom, he drilled it.
“I knew I won,” said McKinsey. “The judges asked me leadership questions, and I was prepared.”
McKinsey has a twin brother, McKinley, who is not as vocal as McKinsey. McKinsey said he got his personality from his mother, Angienette, who is a pre-school teacher.
Because of his outgoing personality, McKinsey is not afraid to speak in front of a crowd. By winning the region and state competition, he added, “It gave me a lot of confidence about my self.”
The Abbeville High senior is not settling for winning the local and state Boys and Girls Club award. He wants to win more.
With high school just about over, McKinsey has already entered the work force and is working at least 40 hours a week with the City of Abbeville. For the next four weeks, his life will consist of work, sleep and preparing for the regional event in Atlanta.
“I am looking at the next competition as a sporting event. I am trying to win the championship. Winning the state award just got me closer to winning the national award.”