From shy newcomer to engaging leader, meet this Youth of the Year in Columbus
Breyana Anyaegbunam walked into the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley teen center in south Columbus as a quiet high school sophomore who mostly stuck to friends from school.
Three years later, this Carver High School senior is the BGCCV Youth of the Year, a leader younger members rush to hug when she arrives and a coach and peacemaker trusted by staff.
Breyana was among the three finalists who gave speeches at the BGCCV Youth of the Year banquet Feb. 5 in the Bibb Mill Event Center before the judges announced the winner.
“The suspense was kind of crazy,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I mean, I was happy, don’t get me wrong, but it was more so, like relief.”
Breyana summarized the message in her speech.
“Love is the solid foundation of education,” she said. “It’s like a different form of love, so you have to really be respectful and not just demand respect. … It’s having patience, instead of moving on if somebody doesn’t understand or just say whatever when they ask questions. It’s taking the time to help them.”
Breyana traces her view of love to her military family.
“I like to believe that humans are the embodiment of the word love,” she said. “Love is a commitment and not a feeling. You have to commit to love.”
Breyana considers her parents as a prime example.
“My mom and dad are still together, and I know that’s not often these days, so I really appreciate that,” she said. “When they have conflicts, they talk it out, and if it gets a little out of hand, they move out of earshot of us because it’s five of us (children at home).”
Breyana’s love extends to her fellow club members.
“All the kids in the club,” she said, “I treat them as my siblings.”
‘She just brings sunshine, light, love’
BGCCV program specialist Tawanda Porter sees Breyana oozing love throughout the teen center.
“She always smiles when she talks, but it’s like light,” Porter told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I think she comes from a loving family, and they’ve instilled so many great values into her.”
Porter started working at the teen center in 2023, the same year Breyana arrived from another BGCCV site.
“She came in quiet at first,” Porter said. “… But now, she just brings sunshine, light, love. She has just a spirit about herself that attracts all good things.”
Whether it’s coaching, singing or writing and reading her own poetry, Breyana has impressed Porter with her talent and dedication to the club.
“She’s just a joy,” Porter said. “The staff loves her. She is just so much.”
Leader and peacemaker
Breyana’s Youth of the Year honor reflects more than her personality and achievements. It also is a tribute to her leadership.
When the teen center started a girls flag football team, they didn’t have enough coaches.
“She kind of took over and really led the team,” Porter said.
Breyana also has coached a basketball team at the club.
“As far as leadership goes, I think she stepped up really well and did a job that a lot of adults find hard to do,” Porter said.
Breyana’s mentoring of younger children extends beyond sports, such as helping with STEM projects and even mediating conflicts.
“She steps up,” Porter said. “She might pull somebody to the side … and just defuse the situation, regardless of what it is. In the end, they’re talking again. They’re back as friends again.”
Porter praised Breyana’s approach.
“She’s so subtle,” Porter said. “She’s so calm. … When somebody is just so uptight about something, she has the ability to calm them down.”
Breyana tries to ensure both sides of a dispute are heard and that both sides consider the other.
“You might not be wrong, but you wouldn’t know that because you’re so stuck on your side of the story that the other side of the story isn’t even relevant to you right now,” she said. “I just bring light to both sides. I explain what you did wrong or why you would be right, and then I let you know that, for future reference, this is how to go about it.”
Growth at the club
Breyana has spent much of her childhood at BGCCV locations. She started at the east unit in elementary school, moved to the north unit in middle school and now attends the teen center on the south side.
Her mother enrolled Breyana and her siblings because she needed help with after-school care while she worked and their father was deployed with the U.S. Army.
“It gave her peace of mind,” she said, “knowing that we were somewhere safe, being fed and looked after.”
Breyana credits the welcoming culture at the teen center for helping her engaging personality emerge.
“They wouldn’t let me be by myself,” she said. “They would always come up and say, ‘Hey, come play pool with me. Come play this game with me. Oh, you hoop?’ Let’s go.’ … There were so many of them, I could only say no so much until I had to say yes to something.”
Now, Breyana is paying forward her gratitude as one of the club members committed to fostering this inclusive atmosphere.
“I’m just continuing to give love the way that I do,” she said. “I know that kids receive love differently, and thanks to the Boys and Girls Clubs, I know how to adjust the love I give.”
Breyana cherishes the structure and support she receives from the BGCCV, socially, athletically and academically. She also appreciates the club providing opportunities that members might otherwise not receive, such as college visits.
And it was on a visit to Middle Georgia State University when Porter witnessed Breyana’s growth on full display. During a break on the campus tour, Porter looked across the room and saw Breyana chatting with the university’s president as if they were best friends.
“It’s just been amazing to see her transformation,” Porter said.
Looking ahead to cars and classrooms
At Carver, Breyana has played on the varsity soccer and volleyball teams. She also has participated in the school’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter.
Breyana plans to attend Columbus Technical College to obtain automotive certification before transferring to the University of West Georgia to major in special education.
Laughing as she acknowledged the unusual combination of mechanic and teacher for a career path, Breyana noted one similarity:
Whether it’s in a classroom or a garage, Breyena would want her students or customers to know, “I’m here for you. Tell me how to help you, and I’ll do that.”
Just like the BGCCV has done for her — and she has done for the club.
About the BGCCV and Youth of the Year selection process
The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley serves over 1,600 children ages 6-18 at seven locations in Columbus.
To be eligible for the BGCCV Youth of the Year award, club members ages 14-18 must have been designated a Youth of the Month by their club. This year, eight of those Youth of the Month winners applied to become Youth of the Year.
The judges select three finalists to give speeches during the Youth of the Year banquet. In addition to Breyana, this year’s finalists were Carver High School junior Treasje Bell and Northside High School junior Edwin Brown.
This year’s judges were Gayla Arrington, Jake Flournoy, Whitley Hall, Stephanie Hunter, Jack Turner, and Samuel Sears.
The judges evaluate the candidates based on their academic performance, character and community service. Scoring is based on their application packet, which includes essays, an interview and their prepared speeches, BGCCV director of college and career readiness Angelica Graham told the Ledger-Enquirer.
“Breyana was selected to represent her club by her club staff and leadership,” Graham said. “She was chosen because she consistently displays exceptional leadership at her home club, at school and throughout the entire organization. … She truly embodies what it means to be a positive role model for both her club and our organization.”
As the winner, Breyana received a full scholarship to Columbus Tech, a laptop computer from ACOM and $2,500.
