Two local high school students have been named 2020 Youth of the Year Ambassadors for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside.
The Ambassadors – Jocelyn Perez and Hilda Cabanillas -- were chosen for their character and citizenship, academics, and commitment to a healthy lifestyle. They each wrote essays on three topics – Club experience, their personal brand, and their vision for America’s youth -- gave a short speech on how the Club has impacted them, and were interviewed by a panel of judges from the community.
The Ambassadors will serve as spokespeople for the Clubs, and receive college scholarships.
The judges chose Jocelyn as the Club’s 2020 Youth of the Year. She won the area’s Youth of the Year competition against other Boys & Girls Clubs in March, and will compete in the state contest – which will be held remotely -- on April 15.
Jocelyn, a senior at Centennial High School in Corona, said the Club gave her the confidence to speak up for herself.
“I was once scared to express myself. There was always a voice inside me telling me I could never be the leader I wanted to be or the person I wanted to be. I often let my fear and doubts control me and my actions,” she said.
That began to change when she started attending the Club.
“I was frequently given the opportunity to express my ideas and share how I really felt about myself with other people. It was this experience that built my confidence and gave me strength,” she said.
After seeing her older sister struggle with bipolar depression, she wants to advocate for mental health awareness among youth and Latinos.
“Alongside the Boys & Girls Club, I have been able to make my passions a reality,” she said. “I love that, as a teenager in high school, I have a role in raising awareness about the importance of mental health for youth.”
For a school class, she collected data for a research report on factors preventing Latinos from seeking mental health resources.
She wants to major in psychology, and become a school counselor or teacher. She was accepted to the University of California, Irvine.
Jocelyn helped run her Club site’s dance program, was active in the Keystone Club service and leadership program, and works with younger kids as a Junior Staff member.
Hilda Cabanillas is the Club’s Youth of the Year Ambassador.
Hilda has attended the Club since third grade. There, she learned to be a role model and to turn her “trials into triumphs.”
Her father wasn’t around as she grew up, and her mother “had to work more than she could play with me because she had to be the provider,” Hilda said.
Because of her childhood, she learned to become “independent, dedicated, hardworking, and focused.”
Hilda is vice president of Keystone Club and is a Junior Staff member – while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. She prioritizes school and her work at the Club.
“The most impactful program was Keystone -- it provided me so many opportunities for volunteering and fundraising and communicating with people, learning to branch out,” she said.
Hilda wants to use her experiences and platform through the Club to promote art therapy.
“I believe we can create community where members can express their thoughts on depression, anxiety, suicide, mental health and so much more,” she said. “By providing the opportunity for art therapy, I can create a platform where all diversity is encouraged and accepted … Thanks to the Boys & Girls Club, I have realized that my differences can become strengths that will impact those around me.”
Hilda wants to be a pediatric nurse.
“I want to work with children because I’ve been (at the Club) all my life and I’ve seen many generations of kids grow,” she said. “I want to be able to help people and be impactful on people’s lives.”
Youth of the Year is a national program of Boys & Girls Clubs of America and recognizes high school-age youth who embody the Club’s mission to mold productive, caring, responsible citizens.
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