BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Butler Mitchell Boys and Girls Club on Buffalo's West Side is like a second home for Teryon Vernon.
He began going to the club as a child, shortly after he moved to Buffalo from Jamaica.
"There were a lot of kids here. They were all having fun and laughing. This was a place I wanted to be," said Vernon. "I really feel like if I didn't come to the club I would be a completely different person. This is where I made most of my friends."
Vernon said the people at the club were a positive influence on him. They pushed him to work hard in school and helped boost his confidence and self-esteem.
Today, he's doing the same for the current group of kids who attend the club during the summer. Vernon is working at the club. He's always good for a pep talk, a game of foosball, or an assist on the playground's money bars.
It's that helping hand and positive spirit that helped Vernon win the 2019 Youth of the Year award. In addition to the title, he also received scholarship money.
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"Being the youth of the year shows me that hard work does pay off and kindness does pay off. The whole time coming to the club, I've always been worried about others and looking out for others, trying to help people and show people the positive in life," said Vernon.
Vernon plans to study robotic engineering in college and plans to come back to the Butler Mitchell club as a volunteer — to give back to the place that gave him so much.