Maxwell teen wins Military Youth of Year for Alabama Published May 6, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Alexa Culbert 42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Out of a group of 13 competitors, 15-year-old Isaiah Lewis, Maxwell Youth Center member, was selected as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America's Military Youth of the Year for the state of Alabama, April 10, 2015, at Auburn University's Dixon Conference Center, Auburn, Alabama. According to the BGCA, the award goes to club members who embody the values of leadership service, academic excellence and healthy lifestyles. For winning the award, Lewis received a $5,000 scholarship and advanced to the Southeastern regional competitions in Atlanta, Georgia, this June. For the competition, Lewis had to write three essays and give examples of his involvement in community service, academics and physical fitness. "I'm extremely proud," said Diana Lewis, Isaiah's mother and Maxwell Youth Center administrative assistant of youth programs. "He works very hard. He didn't do the activities to get recognized, he was recognized because this is what he does. He's been taught what community service and giving back are, so it makes us proud that he has held on to those things and has put his best foot forward to let others know that young people have a voice, too." Unlike most 15 year olds, Lewis spends at least six hours a week volunteering and extracurricular activities. Lewis is in his school's creative writing club and runs with the cross country team. At the Maxwell Youth Center, where he has been a member for the past five years, he helps out with basketball and other sports. And if that's not enough, he volunteers his time as a math tutor at his church. "I rather help other people before I help myself because I have been taught that community service is a good thing," he said. "I can help other people, put a smile on their faces and make them confident that they can do what I can do. My mom and dad always help people; I just watched them. They inspire me to be a leader instead of a follower." "I really can't express how great he is," said Sarah Darden, Maxwell Youth Center open recreational director. "He has a sense of humor, he's humble, he's respectful and he has a wealth of manners that most kids his age don't have. He's just a really great youth to be around." Leading up to the award presentation were three-days of social functions and social service projects for award nominees and family members. One project involved putting together 1,000 bags of nonperishable food items to feed children who depend on school meals as a source of food.