Youth of the Year
Youth of the Year
Youth of the Year is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program for Club members, promoting service to Club, community and family; academic success; strong moral character; life goals; and poise and public speaking ability.
About YOY
Youth of the Year (YOY) is an annual program of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. It is sponsored nationally by Toyota Financial and locally by businesses and committed individuals. Youth of the Year candidates are selected based on community service, Club service, school and life goals, along with written essays on Club Experience, Vision for America's Youth, and Personal Brand. In addition, candidates are judged on poise, self-confidence and public speaking.
Each Club works to identify those exceptional young adults who embody the traits that Boys & Girls Clubs works to instill in each of our 16,000+ members. Once selected, these teens begin a life-changing, six-month journey. They are challenged to explore their personal history, formative experiences, find meaning in their talents and challenges and share those with the world in a 3-minute speech. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley's Youth of the Year program requires a strong commitment from each student. They have the opportunity to develop their writing and presentation skills and engage in specialized workshops designed to help them find their unique *voice" and story to share with our prestigious judging panel.
In the United States, the statistic shows only 69% of our high school-aged youth are graduating. We are proud to say at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley teens that are members have a 90% graduation rate! We focus on making sure that every member that attends the Club gets the support and academic resources necessary to progress from one grade to the next at the appropriate age and that they are graduating on time. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley believe that continued education is just as important. We provide scholarship money to help get our teens into the trade schools or colleges of their dreams. Our annual Youth of the Year program raises the funds necessary to let this happen.
Meet the Youth
2023 YOY Winner
Congratulations Xitlalic!
Xitlalic has always demonstrated great leadership and social skills in the programs at her Club. When she was in the 8th grade, she participated in Read Better, Be Better which allowed her to read to younger members who struggle with reading. She is currently a member of Mecha which focuses on cultural diversity and languages. In the future, she plans on attending college and majoring in Criminal Justice to help the community in any way that she can.
Q: What is one thing (or your favorite thing) you’ve had the opportunity to do because of the Boys & Girls Club?
I’ve had the opportunity to learn new things about sports, arts and my friends. I’ve also helped younger members with their homework and taught them how to read.
Q: Who would you like to have dinner with and why?
I would like to have dinner with my grandma because she makes the best food. I miss when we would always bake and cook together even if it came out tasting horrible.
Q: What’s your favorite quote or saying?
“Success is not final; Failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston S. Churchill
