Kids, teens to be honored at Youth of the Year event

From a field of teens that has demonstrated a commitment to a positive life in the face of adversity, one will emerge on November 19 as Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley’s Youth of the Year.

Four Youth of the Year finalists will be announced Wednesday, October 28. These four finalists are selected from the 12 Youth of the Month recipients.

Each year, BGCSV invites community leaders to volunteer as panelists to select the honoree. This year’s volunteer panelists are: Nana Howell, Holly Kyle, David Cook, Sal Chavez, and Marcelo Defreitas.

As a group, these panelists meet with each of the four Youth of the Year finalists individually, listen to their speech, and conduct a brief Q&A. Collectively the panel selects the teen to be honored as the 2016 Youth of the Year.

Maribel Campos, last year’s honoree, who went on to be selected as California Youth of the Year.

The annual awards event will be held at Maxwell Clubhouse in Maxwell Farms Regional Park from 5:45 to 7 p.m. It is a free and open to the community. The program begins with Fine Arts Exhibition at 5 p.m.

At the Youth of the Year event, BGCSV will also honor the Members of the Year from El Verano, Sassarini, Flowery and Dunbar Elementary schools. The middle school Members of the Year from Altimira and Maxwell Clubhouse are also celebrated.

Keeping middle school members engaged is particularly important because of the critical transition between middle school and high school for Club kids. Nationally, thousands of teens stop attending Boys & Girls Clubs when they enter high school, a time when CLUB services are most needed to chart a path to college and beyond.

Youth of the Year candidates are high school juniors or seniors who demonstrate a significant arc of change. Many candidates face incredible personal challenges at home and in school. The award process illuminates the real and lasting change that Boys & Girls Clubs bring to kids and the community at large.

All finalists receive a $500 scholarship. The Youth of the Year recipient receives a $1,500 scholarship and a new computer thanks to a grant made possible by the August Sebastiani Foundation.

Past Youth of the Year Recipients

2015 Youth of the Year: Maribel Campos
2014 Youth of the Year: Francisco Chavez
2013 Youth of the Year: Yecenia Vargas
2012 Youth of the Year: Gene Truong
2011 Youth of the Year: Jessica Contreras
2010 Youth of the Year: Manuel Heredia