ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A local teen leader is being recognized for making a difference in his community.
Nasir Bicknell has been named Youth of the Year by the Western New York Boys & Girls Club. That’s the highest honor a club member can get.
News10NBC’s Tom Kowalski spoke with the high school senior about how he plans to use his voice to bring change to his community. For him, it all starts in the club’s reading room, where he teaches students of all ages reading skills.
Rising from within
“So I’ve been going here for a while now since I was about seven, six years old. So, it’s just something I became interested in as I grew up,” Bicknell said.
He says he’s become a leader at the club in multiple ways. Aside from working in the reading room, he also contributes to club leaders by helping plan events, serving on committees and giving input on decisions.
“Not only leading from my area, but having the opportunity to also contribute to some of the things going on behind the scenes,” Bicknell said.
When asked what he wants younger kids at the club to learn from his experience, Bicknell said it’s less about learning from him and more about them having a safe space. He wants them to stay in the right crowd, focus on school and allow themselves to be kids without rushing things.
Nasir’s next steps
Bicknell is committed to SUNY Brockport to study business administration starting in the spring. He hopes the award will help him break into the health care field with administration, running hospitals and similar facilities.
“It’s exposed me to not only people who administrate businesses themselves, but, you know, people in fields like that,” Bicknell said.
If he could improve the lives of Rochester’s youth at the city, county or state level, Bicknell said he would focus on mental health representation in the school system. He wants to address falling attendance rates and the rise in mental health-related issues, especially in urban cities like Rochester.
Bicknell is now set to compete in the New York State Youth of the Year competition. That decision is set to be made by mid-May.
If Bicknell wins, he can go on to compete in the Northeast Youth of the Year competition and eventually the national contest.
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