An exceptional student and community member, Trei Dudley has overcome many obstacles and challenges in her young life. Her single mother has had to work very hard to support Trei and her siblings.   

Trei was a member of Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence (Kansas) for 10 years and worked as a junior staffer. She is known for going above and beyond to establish supportive relationships with younger Club members and help them build self-esteem.  

She has volunteered at a local community center, a soup kitchen and an organization that provides support for homeless families. At her high school, Trei was a board member of Can We Talk, a group dedicated to helping at-risk youth achieve their full potential. She was also captain of the cheerleading squad and an editor of the yearbook. 

Trei now attends the University of Arkansas, majoring in business. Inspired by her transformative Club experience, she hopes to one day open her own center for youth in need. 

Dudley’s fellow 2012 Youth of the Year finalists were Crystile Carter, Madison Square Boys & Girls Club (N.Y.), Northeast Region; Tyler Merriweather, Boys & Girls Clubs of West Alabama, Southeast Region; Mai Tong Yang, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities (Minn.), Midwest Region; and Denzell Perry, Watts/Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club (Calif.), Pacific Region.