Meet the 2010 Boy of the Year.

He excels in his schoolwork with a 3.9184 GPA and class rank of 2 out of 47 students, extracurricular activities on the golf and track teams and his community involvement with the Selma Charity League, Habitat for Humanity and the Special Olympics.

And that’s only a nugget of his resume.

That is why Landon Lee Nichols has been named the 61st Annual Paul M. Grist Boy of the Year.

“The only thing I wanted coming out of high school was this award,” Nichols said. “I’ve been working since the ninth grade, trying to be the best I could be. All I’ve wanted ever since then was Boy of the Year.”

Nichols, a senior at Meadowview Christian School, is the son of Lee and Candace Nichols. He was awarded a $1000 scholarship that will go toward the school his choice — The University of Alabama — where he will study communication sciences.

A panel of three judges interviewed the 15 nominees about likes and dislikes of the community, future plans, interpretations of a Paul Grist quote and other opinion-based questions.

The award was created and named in honor of Paul Grist because he spent more than 40 years working with the YMCA and worked to develop Camp McGee and Camp Grist and spent much of his life as a positive role model.

“His influence was just unparalleled,” said Bill Porter, award presenter. “He was a Christian man who not only talked about Christianity, but he lived it every day.”

The recipient of the award last year officially presented Nichols with his plaque. This award has meant a lot to Jay Gilmer, the 2009 recipient of the Boy of the Year award.

“Being the recipient of this award, it kind of sets you to a high standard,” Gilmer said. “When people hear you’re Boy of the Year, you have this high standard of upholding the strong Christian leadership values that Paul Grist exemplified.”