Meet the 2022 Youth of the Year

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Meet the 2022 Youth of the Year

Apr 14, 2022

2022 Youth of the Year

Since 1947, Youth of the Year has been Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program, celebrating the extraordinary achievements of Club members. Each year, Club teens are nominated by staff members to become Youth of the Year candidates. One exceptional young person from each Clubhouse rises to the role of Youth of the Year. State and National events are held. Youth of the Year serves as both an exemplary ambassador for Boys & Girls Club youth and as a strong voice for all of our nation’s young people.

Deanna "DD" Tabor	Kia Dilamini	Nina Laam
Auburn/Lewiston Youth of the Year	Portland Youth of the Year	South Portland Youth of the Year
"The Club has given me a new view on life and has shown me that I have unlimited potential."	"If I did not have the Club, I would not be the student I am today...it is my second home."	"The Club has helped me in a ridiculous number of ways."
DD has been attending the Auburn/Lewiston Clubhouse for over ten years. She remembers when she first began attending the Club and the members and staff who made her feel welcomed and special. She knows that the Club is full of a support system that is always there for her. Through BGCSM, DD has found a love of volunteering and has accumulated more than 1,700 hours of community work since starting high school. She is thrilled to give back and learn what it takes to be a leader in her community. DD is immensely grateful to the Club for being available to her during the pandemic. When she was separated from her peers during school shutdowns, the social time she was able to have at the Club was essential. The relationships she has made through the Club will be life-long friendships. DD has a passion for the culinary arts and delights in making new and creative dishes. Her mentors at the Club are encouraging her to explore a culinary degree after she graduates from high school.	Kia has been coming to BGCSM since he first arrived in Maine in 2018 after moving from South Africa. On his first day here, he was assured that BGCSM was here for anything he or his family needed and he felt instantly welcomed. Within his first few months at the Club, he met peers he now considers his best friends. Club staff also became an important part of his support system; he is grateful to have mentors outside of his family that he can always rely on. Kia credits the Club with exposing him to new cultures and backgrounds in the community. He feels that the communications skills he has learned at the Club are essential for everyone to know and have helped him understand and respect those around him. Throughout his years at the Club, Kia has learned the importance of his studies and future. Trips to local colleges and scholarship opportunities have him excited to attend college next year. Kia says that it is his dream to one day go back to Africa and start Boys & Girls Clubs in all the major cities.	Nina first joined the Boys & Girls Club in 2013 and has been an active member as a youth leader for the past eight years. Beginning in the Torch Club, Nina moved up to a Junior Staff member in 2019 and has participated in leadership seminars and community service projects for Jobs for Maine Graduates. Being unable to attend the Club in person in 2020 was particularly challenging for Nina as she also began her first year of high school. Despite being a virtual for a year, she is still proudly demonstrates the characteristics of a Club member, and is thrilled to be back in the Club in person. Nina has applied the leadership skills she uses in the Club to her community and is active in the Black Lives Matter movement and works to raise awareness about not only racism but also sexism, ableism, and homophobia. Nina's ultimate goal is to attend the University of Southern Maine and eventually become a pediatrician. Nina is thankful to the Club for giving her the bravery to step out of her comfort zone and work to make the positive changes she wants to see in the world.