Exchange Club names Youth of Year, speech contest winners

ALBANY — Brynn Davidson and Criterion Whitlock were selected as the winner and runner-up, respectively, of the Exchange Club of Albany’s Youth of the Year Award. The award, one of the club’s most popular youth projects, recognizes hard-working high school students for their scholastic achievements, community involvement and leadership.

Davidson moves on to a district competition and could get a shot at the National Youth of the Year Award.

Davidson maintains a high GPA at Sherwood Christian Academy, participates in activities concerning both school and the community, and said she intends to go into ministry after she graduates from college. The Albany Exchange Club presented her with a check to help further her education and submitted her application for district competition.

Whitlock attends Dougherty High School and is also active around his school and the community. He said he plans to go to Georgia Tech and earn an engineering degree.

Also, Exchange Club officials announced that Mattie Windburn won the club’s All American speech contest. The contest is both a local and district one. Participants are assigned a topic, must write a 5-to-8-minute speech on it and memorize it. After presenting it to three judges (typically people from the education system), the contestant is scored on exact wording, time, content and overall presentation.

Windburn is from Bainbridge and was also awarded a cash prize for her accomplishment.

“I want to pursue my love for the Constitution (probably in a constitutional studies program),” she said. “And I also want to pursue musical theater.”