Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) serves 3.6 million young people each year through its network of more than 5,000 clubs. The organization believes that all of the kids and teens who set foot inside its clubs have the tools to achieve their dreams, and many prove to be shining examples of what it means to be a club member.
Each year, BGCA recognizes one such young person as its National Youth of the Year. The highest honor for a BGCA member, National Youth of the Year has been presented for 75 years to a club member who has shown outstanding leadership and character. In 2023, the honor went to Alejandra L.
Alejandra has been a member of Boys & Girls Club of McAllen, Texas, since walking through its doors for the first time as a 7-year-old. At the time, she remembers being a shy and sensitive child who had difficulty being away from her mother. Rather than feeling judged, Alejandra says her club’s staff validated her feelings and made her feel welcome.
Alejandra made new friends at the club, and as a teen she began giving back by working there as Youth Staff member. She also gave back in other areas of her life, from serving as a student council member to volunteering in her community. All the while, she supported younger BGCA members who were facing challenges like the ones she once faced.
Now her high school’s student body president, Alejandra aspires one day to be policymaker who will support underserved communities like McAllen, which ranks among the poorest cities in the nation. As the Southwest Youth of the Year, she has had the opportunity to advocate for causes affecting young people in the halls of Texas’ state government. Now the National Youth of the Year, she aims one day work in those halls herself.