Don Dilamini’s Club Connection Goes Beyond His Years as a Member

When Don Dilamini first walked into the Portland Clubhouse in 2018, a lot in his life was new.

His family had recently moved to the United States from South Africa, and Don was starting high school in a new country and a new community. He began attending the Club alongside his younger brother, Kia, and before long, the Portland Clubhouse became a place where Don found friends, opportunities to lead, and people who would become like family.

Years later, that connection to the Club is still going strong.

Finding Community in a New Place

As a high school student, Don became an active member of Keystone Club, BGCSM’s youth leadership group. It gave him opportunities to get involved, take on responsibility, and become part of his new community.

But some of the most lasting parts of Don’s Club experience were the relationships he built along the way.

Several of the Club Kids he met at the Portland Clubhouse remain close friends today, and the staff who supported him throughout those years became much more than the adults who worked at the Club. Don considers them part of his family.

The Club became a family connection, too. Don’s younger brother, Kia, is also a BGCSM alumnus and is on track to graduate from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in Cybersecurity this May.

Coming Back When the Club Needed Him

Don’s connection to BGCSM didn’t end when he graduated from high school.

During the pandemic, he returned to the Portland Clubhouse as a volunteer, giving his time to support Club staff and members as they navigated an incredibly challenging period.

For Don, it was an opportunity to show up for a place, and the people, that had been there for him.

Building What Comes Next

Since his days as a Club Kid, Don has continued investing in his education and building his career here in Maine.

He earned his undergraduate degree in Information Technology from the University of Southern Maine and today works as a Field Technician for Spectrum.

And he isn’t finished learning.

Don is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Project Management with a concentration in Construction Management at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute, all while continuing to work.

It’s a journey that has taken him from a high school student finding his place in a new community to a college graduate, working professional, graduate student, volunteer, and proud Club alumnus.

A Connection That Lasts

Don’s story is a reminder that being a Club Kid isn’t necessarily something that ends when you graduate.

The friendships can stick. The mentors can become family. And the place that helped you find your footing can remain part of your life long after your years as a member are over.

For Don, that’s exactly what happened.

From joining the Portland Clubhouse as a teenager, to returning as a volunteer, to staying connected with the friends and staff he met there, Don’s Club connection has gone far beyond his years as a member.