17-year-old Shamiya Williams of Benton Harbor is the 2023 Boys and Girls Club of Greater Southwest Michigan Youth of the Year. She won last week over other local Youths of the Year and now will compete for the state title. Shamiya is a senior at Benton Harbor High School who is part of the varsity cheer squad, the band, the softball team, and the volleyball team. We asked her what motivates her to be involved.
“My family always makes sure that I know I could do anything, and they always push me to be my better self,” Shamiya said. “Especially my mom. My mom has always motivated me.”
Shamiya says she’s part of the Boys and Girls Club because it’s like a family that encourages young people to be their best. She plans to attend Lake Michigan College next year to start working toward a law degree. Her goal is to become a public defender.
“I want to change the system to actually be fair to everyone because, sometimes, you miss so much in life and just because you did one bad thing, you miss so much in life.”
Shamiya hopes to eventually have her own law firm. She’ll compete for the state title in April, and then possibly, for the national title.
