After heading to the Topeka Civic Center, it was round two for junior Jazmyne McNair, with higher stakes and more competition this time around.

Youth of the Year is a competition between high schoolers involved with the Boys and Girls Club, which can result in scholarship money and recognition for the winner.

After winning the local Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year on Jan. 14, McNair traveled to Topeka on Tuesday, Mar. 1 to compete for Kansas Youth of the Year.

McNair competed against eight other teens in the state competition. They all brought their adult mentors and played games in between events.

“As everyone arrives someone raised their hand,” McNair said. “They were like, ‘this feels vaguely like the Hunger Games.’”

The contestants had to perform a speech as well as do mock interviews, which helped determine the winner. As a group, they did a community service project and taught a lesson to preschoolers.

After winning Youth of the Year in Lawrence, McNair had to prepare for the state competition.

“To prepare for the state competition Jazmyne spent time editing and improving her speech as well as practicing delivering her speech in the community,” Ashley Estrada, who was McNair’s mentor, said. “She presented her speech at various events such as a Lawrence School Board meeting and a Lawrence City Council meeting.”

McNair won $1,000 of renewable scholarship money in the local competition and $5,000 in the state competition.

Winning at the state competition surprised both McNair and her family members, she said.

“A lot of people were talking about my mom’s reaction, which was her screaming and falling out of her chair,” McNair said.

However, some were not surprised that McNair won. Alissa Bauer, who is the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club Director of Marketing and Communications, admired McNair’s perseverance.

“Jazmyne was impressive from day one,” Bauer said. “As soon as I met her, I knew she was a driven, ambitious young woman who accepts all the hard work that comes with being successful. She is able to see the big picture, which can be really hard to do when you’re young.”

McNair is advancing to the Southwest Regional Youth of the Year contest in Dallas, Texas on June 20, where she could win a four-year renewable scholarship of $10,000. Youth of the Year allows McNair an opportunity to strengthen her speaking, interview and writing skills as well as win some scholarship money for college.

“Youth of the Year is a unique experience for students because it offers an opportunity for personal growth and development, writing and public speaking practice, and a chance to get involved and give back to the community,” Estrada said.