My Club

For me, as a Club member I am a voice for other youth around me. I make changes and advocate for the things that are important to me and others in my generation. As a Club member, I collaborate and help others. The Club has been the place where I can achieve not only the things that are important to me but also the things that are important to others.

The Club is also a place where I invest in myself. I’ll be leaving for college to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Many of the staff have not only offered encouragement in this goal but advice as I weigh opportunities and different ways I could achieve my goals. They help me feel like my goals are not only achievable but that I would be great. That’s a huge confidence booster.

The staff that had the most impact on me was a staff named Caleb. Caleb was there during my first year all the way through the middle of seventh grade. He was one of my favorite staff and even went to my baptism. Caleb was one of the most important people in my life, and when he left, you could see all of the students that he had touched at the Clubhouse. He was there if you needed advice about something, and he had awesome activities that we got to do. He also managed a cooking club, which was a lot of fun.

I became very close with staff like Jacob, who during my eighth-grade year helped me tackle distance learning. I remember Jacob because he was there every day, and he built good relationships with not only me and my friends but with the whole class. He helped me explore my passion for writing. With him we wrote chapters of a story every week and by the end of the year, we had two stories that we had written and drawn digital art for. These staff are only a couple examples of how important this place has been to me.

There was always something to do at the Club. We played gaga every chance we got at the Club. It was just a typical everyday activity that you could choose, but it was always my favorite. I learned to cook at the Club with Caleb. That was a lot of fun and made me discover my love for baking and cooking. During my eighth grade year, I was given the opportunity to participate in the Poetry Slam. This gave me the chance to use my creativity and voice for the first time.

The Boys & Girls Club is one of the best places that I have ever been to. It has allowed me to learn and grow as a person along with others my age. I was able to make connections and always had a group of people who were there for me. The Boys and Girls Club really helped me with my self-confidence and how I felt about myself. Today, I feel more confident in myself. If I could choose whether or not I wanted to go to Boys and Girls Club every day, I would choose to go. I not only get social interaction with other peers my age, but I am able to laugh, grow, and make good memories here.