MHAFB teen named Idaho Military Youth of the Year

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jeremy Wolff
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Jordyn Funk, daughter of Master Sgt. Christy Funk and retired Master Sgt. Michael Funk is the 2017 Military Youth of the Year for the state of Idaho.

The 16 year old Mountain Home Air Force Base youth club member wrote four essays and delivered a speech about America’s youth to a panel of judges.

“Being a military brat from two active duty parents, they continuously pushed me in a competitive way and I just want to show them what they do means a lot to me,” said Jordyn.

The Youth Center has given Funk opportunity after opportunity, introducing her to extra curricular activities including basketball, volleyball and 4-H, which led to trips to places like Chicago and Utah.

“It helped her with everything in life honestly, and it helped us as military too,” said Christy. “When you’re in Iraq you don’t always have that phone call. It gave her stability as she was growing into a young woman. She’s grown up to be an extraordinary leader to her younger sibling as well as other kids who go to the youth center.”

In addition, she keeps busy volunteering with the veterans olympics, going with her mom to the veterans hospital in Boise and spending her last summer helping at the airman’s attic thrift shop.

“Jordyn has an innate ability to see a ‘bigger picture’ going beyond the day to day teen age life and responsibilities,” said Lissa Hall, who has been working at the youth center since Jordyn was five. “Her desire to make a positive impact on all those she meets and in the world as a whole comes through in everything she does.”

In August she will move on to regionals in San Diego, CA, where youths from around the country will compete at the next level. If she wins at regionals, the final stage will be nationals in Washington D.C. in September. 


“Even if I won nationally or regionally, it’d make me proud to know I was even picked for this,” said Jordyn. “Somebody said, ‘she’s a leader, we want to pick her up for this’. I’d be proud either way just seeing my parents happy that I was here.”