2018 Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale Youth of the Year Candidates Announced

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (Nov. 17, 2017) – Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale (BGCS) held its Annual Youth of the Year Dinner last night at the Virginia G. Piper Branch to name the teens chosen to represent their individual Clubs in the competition for the 2018 BGCS Youth of the Year title—the highest honor awarded to a Club member.

The 2017-18 BGCS Youth of the Year candidates are as follows:

NELSON MARTINEZ from the Hartley & Ruth Barker Branch
JHOSEVETD GUTIERREZ-RODRIQUEZ from the Scottsdale Charros Branch
ADORA WESLEY-HOWARD from the Lehi Branch
WINNIE CHEN from the Mary Ellen & Robert McKee Branch
CARLI DURFEY from the Virginia G. Piper Branch
MARENA SEVER from the Thunderbirds Branch
MADDIE NOWACZYK from the Vestar Branch

A field of 19 youth from throughout the organization presented speeches and participated in one-on-one and panel interviews with judges the prior week. Participants honed their writing, speaking and presenting skills for more than 10 weeks to prepare for this first round of judging.

“Everyone in the room last night experienced the magic of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. Watching our youth transform throughout this program fills me with joy and is the reason we as staff come to work every day,” said Dr. Lisa Hurst, BGCS president and CEO.

The 2018 BGCS Youth of the Year will be named at the Celebrate Youth at Blue Door Ball gala to be held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge on February 23, 2018. The BGCS Youth of the Year will represent the Clubs throughout the year, is awarded a $5,000 scholarship and will go on to compete for the state title. Across the country, state finalists move on to regional competitions. The regional winners then become the candidates eligible to be named the 2018-19 National Youth of the Year.

Thousands of youth walk through our blue doors every day where programs prepare them to become 21st Century Leaders, Globally Competitive Graduates, Innovative Dream-Makers and Healthy Game-Changers. To learn more about the life-changing impact that Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale has on local youth, visit bgcs.org.