POST FALLS — A Lake City High School junior with a heart for kids has been selected as the Boys and Girls Club's 2025 Kootenai County Youth of the Year.

"I was very surprised, honestly, everyone else did so great," Sienna Miller said Jan. 17.

The humble Coeur d'Alene 17-year-old was celebrated the evening of Jan. 16 during the Youth of the Year program at the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center in Post Falls.

Sienna has been a Boys and Girls Club member since she was 7. She was hired as a club staff member in summer 2024.

“I really love the environment we get to have and how there’s multiple different rooms to be in that provide strengths for the kids," she said. "It's great to have a bunch of different options for each type of child."

Sienna went to elementary school at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities and spent her junior high years at Canfield Middle School. She was born at Kootenai Health and is a lifelong Coeur d'Alene resident.

She enjoys hanging out with friends and serving as a mentor to her younger peers. She is also an artist.

"I really love art," she said. "I just got a new Apple Pencil for my iPad. Coloring on my iPad makes art more accessible, which I love."

Sienna said she plans to go to college but has not yet made up her mind on what career path she will pursue.

"I know I'd like to keep working with kids because of my job now, or something with art," she said.

The national Youth of the Year program recognizes emerging leaders ages 10-18 within the Boys and Girls Club environment and helps provide the foundation they need for advanced leadership development, academic excellence and postsecondary success.

Sienna will travel to Boise for the state competition in February.

"I’m just really excited," Sienna said. "It's such a great experience and I'm happy we can have a chance to have our stories and our voices heard."

Sienna won a full-ride scholarship to North Idaho College. Other contestants won $1,000 NIC scholarships.

Boys and Girls Club leadership said the organization commends this year's contestants for their commitment and hard work.

"Thank you to our board of directors members Linda Coppess, Josh Horvath and Rick Rasmussen for judging," the club shared in a news release. "And a big shout-out to Nick Swayne, president of North Idaho College, for presenting some very generous awards to the contestants."

    The Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County celebrates the accomplishments of all who participated in the Youth of the Year event Jan. 16. From left: River Woodworth, Chris Catalone, Sienna Miller, Michael Higgason, Kaylee Dabel, Eva Rosenberg and North Idaho College President Nick Swayne.