Andrew has made remarkable transformation in his life, all in the face of difficulty in school, facing family crisis, death of a sibling and uncertainty of his future.  With the help of Club staff, Andrew developed the skills necessary to begin to overcome problems and choose a path of success.

"... this was an opportunity to be a part of something great.  Here we would come to realize how important teamwork was as well as how important we were as individuals...  I look back at my life and realize that I have gone through a lot of bumps , I have tripped and fallen as well.  However, the Boys & Girls Club has been the one thing that gave the incentive to stand up, brush myself off and continue.”

Brittany has overcome great personal difficulty in her life to become a successful young person with vision and determination for her future.  Although she has moved 15 times in her life, her perseverance has allowed her to maintain excellent grades and seek stable and healthy friendships.  As a member of the Club for ten years, Brittany has been President of the Torch Club and Secretary of the Keystone Club.

“The Club's faith in me has given me the motivation to set high standards for myself and the ambition to achieve the goals I set.  They've helped me to accept my failures as learning experiences.  They let me be me.”

Kayleigh Roy

Youth of the Year – South Portland Boys & Girls Club

Kayleigh is a dedicated volunteer in the community and values and models respect.  Kayleigh's volunteer work includes the South Portland Nursing Home and national and local 4-H.  She has been a member of the Club for nine years, during which time she has been involved in the Keystone Club, Torch Club, SMART Girls, Performing Arts, mentoring, tutoring and the "Say No to Smoking Program."

“I want to major in Political Science because I am very interested in the political aspect of America and how our economy works.  After my undergraduate degree, I want to go to a good law school so I can become a civil lawyer.  Protecting the rights of everyone is very important to me and it was the way this country was made.”

The Youth of the Year program is the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (www.bgca.org) premier youth recognition program, promoting and celebrating Club members’ service to Club, community and family; academic performance; spiritual values; life goals and; and poise and public speaking ability.  Local Clubs select a "Youth of the Year", who then participate in state competition.  State winners participate in regional competition.  Five regional winners each receive $5,000 scholarship and compete on the national level.  The National Youth of the Year receives an additional $10,000 in scholarship and is installed by the President of the United States.  The Youth of the Year program, in existence for more than 50 years, is sponsored by the Readers Digest Association.