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Beloiter overcomes past, named state's top youth
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| Staff photo by Ann Montgomery Paris Echoles watches as Librada Garcia and Jordan Young work on a computer at the Boys & Girls Club in Beloit. Echoles, a senior at Beloit Memorial High School, was recently named 2005 Wisconsin Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year. The teen now works at the Beloit club, including mentoring youngsters like Garcia and Young. |
By Ann Montgomery
Daily News staff writer
Paris Echoles has stared into the face of adversity and, with a quick smile and playful sense of humor, not flinched.
The Beloit teen was 3 when is father, Leonard Brown, was shot and killed. As the youth started school, his mother got him a membership to what was then the Beloit Boys Club. She thought it would not only give him a place to play sports, but get him to focus on school.
Today, that membership is probably one of the best investments Annice Echoles has made. Paris, a senior at Beloit Memorial High School, has not only been named 2005 Stateline Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year, but earlier this month was chosen 2005 Wisconsin Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year.
"He comes from a tough background, including being very young when his father was shot and killed. A kid like that you might expect to do bad things, but Paris has taken his life and turned it into a good thing," Chad Udell, who heads the Beloit unit of the organization, said. "He's a great kid. I can't say enough good things about him."
While Paris spent his youth playing sports at the local club, today he works at the Moore Street facility. The teen spends each afternoon helping youngsters with homework, then watching over the gymnasium as the kids play basketball.
On Wednesday, Paris chuckled as he noted activities at the Boys & Girls Club haven't changed much over the years.
"We'd go outside and play football, or go into the gym and play basketball. This is where I developed my love for basketball. But we had to have our homework done before we could go outside or play basketball. They taught us that education is the most important thing."
Echoles took his love for sports and excelled at Beloit Memorial High School, including playing both football and basketball. He's also an honor roll student, and involved in school and community activities in Beloit.
In addition to being a good role model to the children at the local Boys & Girls Club, Paris works to be a role model for his younger siblings, including sister Annisha Echoles, and brother Christopher Cooks.
Paris will graduate from BMHS this spring with a 3.8 grade point average. Good grades and his community service work has helped him get accepted to a number of colleges, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Platteville, and Northern Illinois University. He is undecided which school he'll attend, but does know he'll study physical education in hopes of being a teacher. Ultimately, Paris would like to get his master's degree in athletic administration and work as an athletic director.
This summer, Echoles will focus on representing Beloit and the State of Wisconsin at the Boys & Girls Club sectional competition, and possibly at the national level.
Echoles was first named 2005 Stateline Boys & Girls Clubs, Beloit Unit Youth of the Year earlier this month. After winning the local award, Echoles advanced to state competition where he competed against 16 young people from clubs across the state. To be eligible for the state award, candidates must submit a written application and an essay. Speeches were given during the judging, which was done by Wisconsin community leaders.
The teen said his speech focused on the adversity he's faced in his life and what the Boys & Girls Club in Beloit has meant to him. He'll give a similar speech in the sectional competition.
For his efforts, Echoles was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Reader's Digest Foundation, and earned the right to compete with winners from 13 states in Chicago in July. Winners of sectional competition qualify for the Midwest Regional, which sends five candidates to Washington, D.C. for the National Youth of the Year award presentation at the White House. The winner of the overall award takes home a $10,000 scholarship sponsored by the Reader's Digest Foundation.
Udell joked that he'll probably be more nervous than Paris when the teen gets up and gives his speech at sectional competition in Chicago, but he's confident he'll do Beloit proud.
"I think he has a really good shot at winning, based on his speech and the way he carries himself," Udell said.
The Beloit teen was 3 when is father, Leonard Brown, was shot and killed. As the youth started school, his mother got him a membership to what was then the Beloit Boys Club. She thought it would not only give him a place to play sports, but get him to focus on school.
Today, that membership is probably one of the best investments Annice Echoles has made. Paris, a senior at Beloit Memorial High School, has not only been named 2005 Stateline Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year, but earlier this month was chosen 2005 Wisconsin Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year.
"He comes from a tough background, including being very young when his father was shot and killed. A kid like that you might expect to do bad things, but Paris has taken his life and turned it into a good thing," Chad Udell, who heads the Beloit unit of the organization, said. "He's a great kid. I can't say enough good things about him."
While Paris spent his youth playing sports at the local club, today he works at the Moore Street facility. The teen spends each afternoon helping youngsters with homework, then watching over the gymnasium as the kids play basketball.
On Wednesday, Paris chuckled as he noted activities at the Boys & Girls Club haven't changed much over the years.
"We'd go outside and play football, or go into the gym and play basketball. This is where I developed my love for basketball. But we had to have our homework done before we could go outside or play basketball. They taught us that education is the most important thing."
Echoles took his love for sports and excelled at Beloit Memorial High School, including playing both football and basketball. He's also an honor roll student, and involved in school and community activities in Beloit.
In addition to being a good role model to the children at the local Boys & Girls Club, Paris works to be a role model for his younger siblings, including sister Annisha Echoles, and brother Christopher Cooks.
Paris will graduate from BMHS this spring with a 3.8 grade point average. Good grades and his community service work has helped him get accepted to a number of colleges, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Platteville, and Northern Illinois University. He is undecided which school he'll attend, but does know he'll study physical education in hopes of being a teacher. Ultimately, Paris would like to get his master's degree in athletic administration and work as an athletic director.
This summer, Echoles will focus on representing Beloit and the State of Wisconsin at the Boys & Girls Club sectional competition, and possibly at the national level.
Echoles was first named 2005 Stateline Boys & Girls Clubs, Beloit Unit Youth of the Year earlier this month. After winning the local award, Echoles advanced to state competition where he competed against 16 young people from clubs across the state. To be eligible for the state award, candidates must submit a written application and an essay. Speeches were given during the judging, which was done by Wisconsin community leaders.
The teen said his speech focused on the adversity he's faced in his life and what the Boys & Girls Club in Beloit has meant to him. He'll give a similar speech in the sectional competition.
For his efforts, Echoles was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Reader's Digest Foundation, and earned the right to compete with winners from 13 states in Chicago in July. Winners of sectional competition qualify for the Midwest Regional, which sends five candidates to Washington, D.C. for the National Youth of the Year award presentation at the White House. The winner of the overall award takes home a $10,000 scholarship sponsored by the Reader's Digest Foundation.
Udell joked that he'll probably be more nervous than Paris when the teen gets up and gives his speech at sectional competition in Chicago, but he's confident he'll do Beloit proud.
"I think he has a really good shot at winning, based on his speech and the way he carries himself," Udell said.
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