Youth of The Year!

Members from every clubhouse are nominated for Youth of the Month when they stand out to our staff in one of our core areas: Health and Lifeskills, Character and Leadership, Education and Career, The Arts, or Sports and Recreation. In December all of the Youths of the Months are invited to our Annual Youth of the Year Banquet. It is here our overall Youth of the Year is revealed and presented with a scholarship for college.

Maria Del Carmen Mendiola, 2013 Youth of the Year

Maria Del Carmen Mendiola was named the Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Clubs of Marin and Southern Sonoma Counties. She received a $1,500 college scholarship, courtesy of GC Micro, and advances to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Northern California Youth of the Year competition.

Maria attends Petaluma High School. She is an active member of Torch Club, is involved in Associate Student Body (ASB), dances Ballet Folklorico in her spare time, and runs the Latino Club at the Downtown River Clubhouse. Maria dreams of attending the University of New Mexico and becoming the first generation in her family to attend college.

Youth of the Year applicants must meet age and membership requirements while demonstrating good character and leadership in the club, school or community. The judges included Steve Page of Infineon Raceway, Julie Wilder of Autodesk, Susan Carson of Integro Insurance Brokers (and a Boys & Girls Club board member) and Marilyn Segal of the Petaluma Community Foundation.

Pictures from the Youth of the Year Celebration can be viewed from our Photo Gallery