Danny Young Jr., 2018 MEC Scholarship Winner

Published on Monday, June 25, 2018 in Community

For Danny Young Jr., growing up on a football field taught him about leadership, dedication, hard work, and most importantly, friendship. Some of his fondest childhood memories came from the practices and games that filled his youth. “You form a bond with your teammates that you can't get anywhere else. Football requires more than physical strength. The people around you help push you to keep trying even when you've been knocked down,” said Danny when we recently met him on the football field at Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School.

He earned a $1,000 scholarship from MEC for his dedication to academics, community work, extracurricular activities and for his creative video submission, answering the question, “What is your super power?”

While his favorite sport, football wasn't the only athletic endeavor he pursued during his high school career. He was active in basketball and baseball as well and earned six district varsity sports medals and two regionals medals for his efforts in all three.

However, if you really want to see Danny's face light up, ask him about youth group and his church. “The family that will never be broken,” he called it. He described his youth group leader and the church's pastor as a mentors who inspired him to be the best he can be. “My church has given me a rock to stand on and it's the thing I most look forward to each week.” Beyond teaching him a devotion to God, Danny notes that youth group helped him step outside of his comfort zone to take on new challenges, such as public speaking.

Watching his mentors throughout his life taught him the values of integrity and responsibility and ultimately helped him to serve as a role model for other students and most importantly, his younger brother. This life experience will also guide him as he enters the engineering program at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, which he picked for its roots in Christianity and commitment to academics.

In addition to playing sports and being active with his church, he participated in Legacy 4H showing cows. He also greeted people as the Easter Bunny for the Cass County Medical Care Facility and was named Mr. Cassopolis in the 2018 Miss Cassopolis Pageant.

Needless to say, Danny made the most of his high school experience and we are proud to support his next great adventure.

As for his super power, watch the video to meet Bugsy and learn about how he makes families stronger.

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