15 Minutes

Arts & Culture

15 Minutes with an L.I.T.

IntervIew wIth eva hernandez by Stacey walquISt, lIt coordInator

The Boys & Girls Club is more than just a place for kids to go afterschool, just ask Eva Hernandez. Hernandez is a junior at Damonte Ranch High School, an honors student, fluent English and Spanish speaker, and a Leader in Training (an LIT). The LIT program is a national Boys & Girls Club program focused on educating youth, age 13 – 17, about financial literacy, workforce development, and civic engagement. Hernandez is also the female contender for the Youth of the Year, an annual competition between the Boys & Girls Club best and brightest youth. Hernandez has participated in the LIT program since she was 13 years old and now, at age 16, we ask her to reflect on her time as an LIT with the Boys & Girls Club of Neil Road.

how old were you when you started going to the Club?

I was four years old, “technically six.”

what is the most gratifying part of being an Lit?

The most gratifying part is making the kids laugh, I think I’m a pretty funny person, so I always have jokes. Whenever I tell them my jokes they either laugh at my joke or they laugh because I’m laughing at my own joke. Either way I always tend to hear a couple of kids telling my jokes to their peers and/ or their parents.

Do you have a funny Lit story?

I have a few but the one I always get reminded about is the one when I was playing volleyball with the kids and we had the ball up for a while and one of the kids passed me a low ball so I dove to save it because I didn’t want it to be my fault that the ball fell so as I dove and all I hear are my jeans ripping right down the front of my thigh.

what is your favorite aspect of being an Lit?

My favorite aspect would be seeing a smile on the kids’ faces. Seeing other people smile actually makes you smile as well, whether you want to or not the kids will always put a smile on your face too.

what is a valuable lesson you have learned as an Lit?

A valuable lesson I’ve learned is that the kids are always watching you, you always have to be careful with what you say and what you do. The kids look up to you and will mimic the things you do, so be careful.

what would you say to youth considering being a part of the Lit program?

They should definitely do it; it’s a lot of fun. Many people see it as just watching kids but that’s not how it works. You get to have as much fun as the kids. Nevada Humane Society