WPAFB teen earns state honor Published April 10, 2015 By Gina M. Giardina 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- A teen member of the Prairies Youth Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base won the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Ohio Military Youth of the Year, which came with a $5,000 prize March 28 in Cleveland, Ohio. Rowan Goble, an eighth grader at the Dayton Regional STEM School, will participate in the All-Air Force Military Youth of the Year conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 22-26 and then will compete in the Midwest regional in Chicago on July 22. "Being the Wright-Patterson candidate is such an honor," said Goble. "I'm excited about this chance to be a voice for other teens." "Rowan was selected at Wright-Patt because not only does she regularly attend the center, but she has been very active over the past five years and consistently takes leadership roles," said Bennie Luck, the Youth Programs coordinator. "Rowan was our Torch Club President when she was younger; her big project was getting a recycling program going in our center. She's also very big into fundraising for various activities here," Luck said. Goble was eager to discuss all of her experiences as a military dependent, and the differences between living overseas, in Maryland and now, in Dayton. "I had some trouble with bullies back in Maryland, but not here," said Goble. "I'm able to participate in a number of activities at school and here at the Prairies Youth Center." She is involved in numerous activities including the Air Force Teen Council, 4-H, Civil Air Patrol, Muse Machine, a sewing club and soccer, among many others. "I've never seen someone so active and so diverse with her activities," Luck said of the eighth grader. "She's involved with academic clubs, music clubs, and sports, plus all her stuff at the Youth Center." "Each of the clubs or activities that I'm involved with is a community," Goble said. "So I have all these little communities in my life. It's so much fun and I get to meet so many different types of people." When asked what she wants to do when she grows up, Goble explained that she has both career goals and personal aspirations. "I really like psychology and psychiatry," she said. "And English is my favorite subject in school. I just love words. The right words from someone who understands can do so much for others." Her experience as a military-dependent teenager has equipped her with a unique insight into the pressures on teenagers both at the youth center and at school. "Kids with parents in the military usually move around quite a bit and sometimes struggle being the new kid," said Goble. "The youth center is a great place for me because we're all military kids here so everyone knows what it's like to have to make new friends and find new things to do. We're a community here." This insight doesn't stop with her experience as a military dependent. Goble shared the speech she delivered at the state competition in Cleveland, and her words show an advanced level of understanding. "There is a general pressure (on teenagers) to look a certain way, to dress a certain way, to act a certain way, and it's detrimental. . . . This can lead to anxiety, depression, and in the worst tragic cases--self-destructive behavior," Goble explained in her speech. Not too far from her career goals, her personal aspirations are namely to travel in hopes of broadening her perspectives. "We can't really understand things until we experience them. So I want to see the world--places like Rome with all the art and amazing architecture." Wright-Patterson Prairies Youth Center and Boys & Girls Clubs of America The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America offers programs such as Keystone Club, a leadership development program for youth ages 14 to 18 aimed at academic success, career preparation and community service, and Torch Club, a program for youth ages 11 to 13 that encourages service to Club and community, education, health and fitness, and social recreation. According to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Youth of the Year has been their premier recognition program since 1947 as it celebrates the extraordinary achievements of Club teens who epitomize the values of leadership service, academic excellence and healthy lifestyles. Regional winners--in Chicago for Goble-- receive a $10,000 college scholarship, renewable for four years up to $40,000. Six youth, including five regional winners and a military winner, advance to the National Youth of the Year competition for a chance at an additional scholarship of $25,000, renewable up to $100,000 for four years. The National Youth of the Year represents all Boys & Girls Club youth.