'Youth of the Year' finalists

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley will present its fifth annual Youth of the Year award on November 20, the organization’s premier recognition program.

The finalists are Franklin Franco, Marlen Rojas, Maribel Campos, and Yvette Lopez.

Thanks to the generosity of the August Sebastiani Foundation, each teen candidate receives a $500 scholarship, and The Youth of the Year recipient receives a $2,000 scholarship and a new laptop computer.

Youth of the Year candidates are high school juniors or seniors who demonstrate a significant arc of change, explained the Clubs’ Rachel Cusick. Many candidates face incredible personal challenges at home and in school. “These wonderful teens might not be recognized outside of the Club but because of their relationships with Program Directors their struggles are acknowledged and their triumphs affirmed,” she said. “On this very important evening, we honor their commitment to a positive life in the face of adversity.”

About Franklin Franco – Franklin has proved himself to be the most dedicated Teen volunteer in the past two years here at the Club. Frank possesses a unique ability to quietly motivate and energize his peers, often leading the way in recruiting and rallying the other Teens for volunteer opportunities and events. Although Frank is a quiet person, his leadership and reliability is not lost on the Staff here at the Club, it has become a given that Frank will be there whenever we need him! Aside from his outstanding volunteer efforts and Club programs participation, Frank has dedicated himself to becoming one of the first in his family to graduate high school. During his Junior year, Frank fell behind in many of his classes, and consequently is not on schedule to graduate on time. At the beginning of this school year Frank expressed to us that he needed help, and enrolled himself as a Future Focus member, regularly checking in with our staff to ensure that he stays on task to graduate. In the past few months Frank has concentrated his efforts, and has been able to raise the majority of his grades, including overcoming a personal obstacle and finishing his Senior Project topic paper, receiving an ‘A’ in the process. Frank’s kind nature, and selfless attitude are his most admirable attributes, and The Club is a better place when he is here! We have no doubt that Frank will accomplish his goals.

About Marlen Rojas – We attempt to stay away from nominating a student for Youth of the Year multiple times, but when a Teen demonstrates the excellence that Marlen does, it is nearly impossible to not include her again! Simply put, Marlen is epitome of a “Club Kid,” one who has been attending The Club since a young age, and one who depends on The Club as much as we depend on her. Keystone president, dedicated volunteer, and an extremely hard-working student, Marlen is a tremendous role model for those in her community, and has set a great example for members of all ages here at The Club. Currently, Marlen is tutoring math each day after school to students at Adele, and has somehow been able to successfully manage a busy workload, her school work, and being Keystone president. How Marlen juggles all these tasks is a testament to her internal drive to succeed, as well as a willpower that is undeniable in observing her everyday actions. Academic accolades and volunteer efforts aside, Marlen has been an extension of the Staff as well, often we rely on Marlen to recruit new members, organize meetings, and rally her peers to accomplish tasks. Without hesitation, the staff looks to Marlen in times of need, and she never disappoints. Marlen is dependable, tireless in her efforts, and most of all, humble. When selected for Youth of the Year for 2013, Marlen was puzzled as to why we selected her. After another year of hard work, we hope she is mindful of just how incredible she really is.

About Maribel Campos – Maribel began coming to the Club with a specific purpose to join Keystone, and quickly thereafter became involved in a number of volunteer efforts, as well as the College Bound (now Future Focus) program. Maribel has a knack for bringing a positive energy and spirit to events she would help with, and despite a very busy schedule, found ways to help The Club and her community in a unique way this past summer. Maribel was “contracted” as our official translator for the Boys & Girls Club Newsletter, and used her Spanish writing talent to skillfully translate each newsletter we published. Maribel became a quick favorite of the Staff, and was often looked at as an extension of the Staff rather than a Teen member. However, Maribel’s maturity did not get in the way of her being a fun and exciting presence at The Club throughout the last few years. While volunteering, Maribel is consistently able to bring the energy of the entire group up to her high level, and we have come to rely on her many times to rally a group and infuse some pep into her peers (and staff!). Over the summer, Maribel attended the majority of The Club’s College Tours, as well as almost every external workshop that was offered. Maribel is a great example of a student who takes advantage of her resources, tapping into a number of organizations in her community to help her reach her academic goals, namely being accepted into the Students Rising Above program. One of Maribel’s strongest qualities is her humble yet determined attitude. Despite being a star student, and an extremely accomplished volunteer in her community, Maribel is seemingly unaware of her talents and of the impact she has on those around her. Maribel is destined for greatness!

About Yvette Lopez – Yvette has been attending The Club for almost two years, less than many of our regular Teen members. Although she has been coming for a relatively short time, her influence on her peers and the Staff has been tremendous. Yvette is a dedicated volunteer, both inside The Club and out in the community. While she is here, Yvette can be seen helping her peers with their homework, and she has a knack for finding those who need a different type of motivation than they often receive from Staff or teachers. Yvette has been able to reach some of the ‘toughest’ Teen members, and does most of this work in near secrecy. She looks to receive no credit for her efforts, and is humble when we acknowledge her. Yvette is also an active volunteer in the community and during special events, and has been able to rally many of her peers to get involved in service projects. Aside from her strong volunteer efforts, Yvette has shown a strong effort in her own school work, and is on track to apply to a number of universities this fall. She took advantage of as many of the college tours as was possible over this past summer, and attends most of the Future Focus workshop opportunities as well. Yvette has a quiet, yet focused determination, and needs little prompting from the staff to accomplish her school work. She is an accomplished student, and combined with her extra-curricular efforts is sure to be a welcome addition to whichever post-high school institution she chooses.

The event, from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. at the Maxwell Village Clubghouse is free and open to everyone in the community. In partnership with Ramekins, the event sponsor, BGCSV teens will participate in a cooking class to prepare the appetizers and refreshments that will be served.

This event illuminates the real and lasting change that the Club brings to kids and the community at large. “It’s the warm, gives-you-goose-bumps, life-altering impact that we seek when we invest time and money in a cause that we are passionate about,” Cusick said.