Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, August 19, 2010

Youth Salute selected Henry Clay High School’s Nick Zaytsev as Lexington’s Youth Leader of the Year for 2009-2010. He received a $500 scholarship and an expenses-paid trip, sponsored by Holifield Photography, to the National Council on Youth Leadership conference.

Arion Wright of Bryan Station High and Nash Laungani of Paul Laurence Dunbar High also won trips to the conference, where they joined other Youth Salute leaders from across the nation last fall at Washington University in St. Louis.

The other top school winners were Anna Collins of Lafayette High and Allison Young of Tates Creek High.

Virginia Hernandez of Bryan Station High received a $4,000 scholarship from Midway College. Also, Helen Sauer of Henry Clay and Amin Gharad of Dunbar received $100 leadership awards provided by Central Bank & Trust Co. and Holifield Photography.

The Youth Salute is conducted annually through the National Council on Youth Leadership in cooperation with the Central Kentucky Council on Youth Leadership.

Students are nominated by high school counselors, teachers, principals and community leaders. Each prospect must be a high school junior, have at least a 3.0 grade-point average and have been chosen by peers or an adult for at least two leadership roles in school, religious or community-sponsored organizations during the previous two years.

The 2009-2010 individual winners from among 818 outstanding high school juniors at 42 Central Kentucky high schools were recognized at an awards ceremony at Georgetown College.