Youth honored for 'passion,' volunteer efforts

  • Published
  • By Ashley M. Wright
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  An Eglin teenager recently received recognition as one of the 2010 Air Force Youth of the Year.

Megan Mickley, 15, was rewarded for her four years of volunteering at the Eglin Youth Center. She joined 64 other young people winning the award at a ceremony held at the Pentagon in Washington DC, June 24.

"Megan is a shining example of the important role teens play at the youth center," said Ann Lienemann, Eglin Youth Programs director. "She is a highly motivated young lady and an excellent role model for our younger members in addition to setting the example for her peers."

Ms. Mickley spends her time at the center teaching younger children her passion.

"When I first started dancing, I liked it a lot," she said. "It has become my passion in life, and I wanted to teach little kids what I love to do."

Ms. Mickley's students, ranging in ages from three to 12, are taught proper dance techniques in a variety of styles.

The Niceville High School sophomore is in her fifth year of dance and studies a variety of genres including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and more.

Staff members of the youth center felt Ms. Mickley was an easy choice for the award.

"She volunteered over 500 hours in our dance program in 2009, not to mention the time she spent helping throughout her school and community," Ms. Lienemann said. "Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a [volunteer] can receive."

The award is part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Youth of the Year program and recognizes teens for outstanding contributions to a member's family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome, according to the group's press release.

"[The award] means a lot in the aspect that I worked so hard for so very long, and I was not expecting any rewards from it," Ms. Mickley said. "I was just doing this because I wanted to."

Ms. Mickley plans to pursue her passion at a local college for her associate's degree before starting at Florida State University for her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in dance and theatre arts.

The love she has for her dancing has paid off, according to Kevin Mickley, Megan's father.

"She wasn't really expecting to be recognized," he said. "It was just something that came up."