​​​​​​​This article was posted on tallahassee.com on August 1, 2016.

Boys Town North Florida held its Awards Banquet last Thursday at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum. Those youth being awarded showed up in style thanks to Mikes Limousine Service as they were greeted in turn by Dj Willie Brown.

Every child receives an award - From “Most Improved Academic Performance” to “Most Courageous” there was an individual award for every child in the Family Homes Program.
The top two awards  — “Youth of the Year” and “Ambassador of the Year” — recognize the recipients’ ability to represent Boys Town in a positive manner within the community.

This year's Youth of the Year is Joshua and Ambassador of the Year is Emma.

Both Joshua and Emma came to Boys Town with a lot of reasons to be angry and untrusting.  It took a little while for the Family Home staff to prove that they were committed to helping them.  Once they understood that the Home's goal was to let the light inside of them shine bright, they embraced every ounce of help they were offered with arms wide open.

About Joshua: Joshua had developed such a strong sense of self and has goals for his future.  He is an example to the other youth that your past does not have to define your future.  If there is any way he can help, Joshua will be there and will put his best foot forward every time. He has earned the title “Youth of the Year.”

About Emma: There isn’t a soul that comes in contact with Emma, that doesn’t leave ​feeling just a little lighter.   Her resolve to change her story, her desire to see everyone succeed and her ability to make every person she meets better just for knowing her, has earned her the “Ambassador of the Year” Award for the Family Home Program.