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Alana Maria Jefferson, 17, recently was named Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s 2021 Youth of the Year. A panel of club staff and administration served as the judges to select this year’s Youth of the Year.
Jefferson, a junior at Coral Gables Senior High School with a 3.2 GPA, has been a member of the Hank Kline Club since 2010. During her time at the club, she has matured by placing her focus on her education and giving back to the community. She hopes to attend Columbia University or Howard University to pursue a career in education with a focus on the arts. Jefferson believes in promoting the arts and the importance of art education in early childhood development.
Jefferson participates in numerous extracurricular activities including writing for the school newspaper which she uses as a way to bring awareness to issues surrounding the arts.
Jefferson also ran for 2021 class president and credits the club with transforming her into an extroverted, confident leader. At the club, she participates in the Teen Club and is the Keystone president. She also is part of the Teen Event Development Committee.
Jefferson and 29 other teens from Florida Boys & Girls Clubs will be competing for the 2021 Florida Youth of the Year title. The winner of the state title will receive a $2,500 scholarship, laptop computer and printer.
“Alana is the ideal ambassador of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade and deserves to be named Youth of the Year,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. “She embodies the values of leadership and service, and has proven academic excellence. We congratulate her for all of her hard work and dedication to the Club and our community.”
Every year since 1955, youth from various Boys & Girls Clubs across Florida have competed for the opportunity to represent Florida as the Florida Youth of the Year. The winner of the state title then competes in the regional competition. Five regional winners then move on, and one is named the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year.
The National Youth of the Year serves as both an exemplary ambassador for Boys & Girls Clubs youth and as a strong voice for all of the nation’s young people. He or she receives a new car courtesy of Toyota, as well as scholarships and cash totaling $60,000. The National Youth of the Year, along with the other four regional runners-up, then travel to Washington, DC, and speak to members of Congress and meet the President of the United States.
To achieve the title of Youth of the Year on any level, club members must embody the values of leadership and service, academic excellence and a healthy lifestyle. They should exemplify the critical impact that Boys & Girls Clubs have on the lives of young people. The scoring includes candidate essays, an interview, a speech, letters of recommendation and overall application quality.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade has been serving youth in the community since 1946.
What once was a single building and site for boys has grown to five clubs serving thousands of boys and girls year-round, providing programs in the areas of character and leadership development, educational enhancement, career preparation, health and life skills, cultural arts and sports, fitness and recreation.
Club staffing, initiatives, and programs are designed to inspire and enable area youth and provide them with the resources to succeed and share in the American Dream.
For more information, visit www.bgcmia.org, or call 305-446-9910.
