Did you grow up at a Club?
Are you looking for ways to re-engage?
Can your story inspire others?

Sign up for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale Alumni Club to re-open the Club door in a brand new way.

Alumni Club Spotlight – SYDNEY FRANKS

What did you like most about the club?
What I loved most about the club was the spirit and traditions that stuck with me through every stage, as a kid, a volunteer, and now as a staff member. They’ve made every summer unforgettable. I can still name every group I was in during summer camp because the spirit challenges and activities created so many lasting memories!

In which programs did you participate?
The first program I got involved in was the Leader in Training program, which I participated in for four years. It prepared me for the transition into a junior staff role the summer before my junior year of high school. I was also active in the Keystone program, serving as vice president for one year and president for two. That experience helped me form lasting friendships and connect my life outside the club with my life at the club. The program I’m most grateful for, though, is Youth of the Year. I was honored to be named the 2022 Greater Scottsdale Youth of the Year and the 2024 Arizona State Youth of the Year. Through that program, I’ve experienced incredible personal growth and feel more prepared than ever to take on college, law school, and life as a whole.

What have you been up to since graduating from high school?
Since graduating from high school, I’ve completed my freshman year at the University of Utah, where I’ve become an active member of the powerlifting club and will be serving as an ambassador for the College of Social and Behavioral Science. I’ve loved my first year and am on track to graduate a year early, in the spring of 2027, with plans to attend law school afterward. In the meantime, I continue to carry on the magic and spirit of the Thunderbirds Branch by coordinating all of this summer’s spirit challenges and working as a program instructor.

Alumni Club Spotlight – OLGA FERNANDEZ

Why did you start attending the Boys & Girls Clubs Greater Scottsdale?
I began attending the Club around the age of six, initially at the Hartley & Ruth Barker Branch and later at the Rose Lane Branch. At 14, I started working at Rose Lane and later, during college, I also worked at the Virginia G. Piper Branch.

What did you like most about the Club?
What I appreciated most about attending the Club was the second family it offered me. As a child of a single mother who worked full-time, my brother and I needed a safe place to go after school. The Club provided a welcoming environment where we could complete our homework and participate in extracurricular activities, allowing us to spend quality time at home with our mom.

What programs were you involved with?
I participated in SMART Girls, Torch Club, L.I.T., Keystone, and Youth of the Year, just to name a few. You name it, I was in it!

What have you been up to since graduating high school?
Since high school, I have pursued my education diligently. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences and then became a teacher through Teach For America. While teaching, I completed my master’s degree in Bilingual Education. Following that, I obtained another master’s degree in Communication Disorders, and I am now working as a bilingual speech-language pathologist. In my personal life, I got married and have two daughters. I am hopeful to find a place like the Club for them when they are old enough to attend.

ALUMNI CLUB MEMBERS
LIZZIE ERICKSON

Vestar Branch, 2008 – 2017
University of Arizona, 2020

LIZ BYRNE

Hartley & Ruth Barker Branch, 1997 – 1998
Rose Lane Branch, 1999 – 2002
Northern Arizona University, 2006

ALLISON MERTZ

The Thunderbirds Branch, 2008 – 2016
Arizona State University, 2020

CHELSEY SIEBELS

Virginia G. Piper Branch, 2006 – 2016
Arizona State University, 2020

CHRISTINA KEHOE

Osborn Branch, 1998
Arizona State University, 2009
University of Phoenix, 2011

KANDIS MORAN-JIMENEZ

Rose Lane Branch, 2006 – 2014
Virginia Commonwealth University, 2021

KENNY FITZGERALD

The Thunderbirds Branch, 2001 – 2007
Vestar Branch, 2007 – 2015
Arizona State University, 2014

RICKY GONZALES

Osborn Branch, 1990 – 2000
Arizona State University, 2020

MARENA SEVER

The Thunderbirds Branch, 2008 – 2018
University of Kansas, 2021

MYKAELA PANOWYK

Virginia G. Piper Branch, 2nd grade – High School
Arizona State University, 2021

VIVIAN NGUYEN

Vestar Branch, 2008 – 2017
The University of Arizona, 2021

BRIANNA TSATSKIN

The Thunderbirds Branch, 2004 – 2014
Arizona State University, 2014

RENZO CURAY

Hartley & Ruth Barker Branch, 2007 – 2014
Arizona State University, 2020

MELISSA ERVIN

Mary Ellen & Robert McKee Branch, 2002 – 2016
Arizona State University, 2020

MATT BENAC

Hartley & Ruth Barker Branch, 2000 – 2004
Perdue University, 2014

All Alumni Club Members

Ariana Alvez
Samantha Alvez
Katie Angelini
Matthew Benac
Ellen Bisceglia
Russ Campton
Susan Chiostri

Renzo Curay
Maggie DeBruin
Melissa Ervin
Kenny Fitzgerald
Ricky Gonzales
Christina Kehoe
Allison Mertz

Kandis Moran-Jimenez
Vivian Nguyen
Mykaela Panowyk
Megan Reno
Marena Sever
Chelsey Siebels
Brianna Tsatskin
Kristen Yee