Briana Vergara named 2018 Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Clubs

Briana Vergara named 2018 Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Clubs
Briana Vergara named 2018 Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Clubs
Briana Vergara

Briana Vergara, 17, has been named Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s 2018 Youth of the Year it was announced on Wednesday, Mar. 7.

A panel of individuals from a diverse mix of Miami-area companies — Angela Smith with the Miami Marlins, Nelson Fraga with NCL, Erica Glick with Top Golf plus Ahbria Marshall, a former Youth of the Year — served as the judges to select this year’s Youth of the Year.

Vergara has been a member of the Kendall Club since she was in kindergarten. She and 29 other teens from Florida Boys & Girls Clubs competed for the state title, Apr. 12-14, in Sarasota.

Vergara is a senior at John A. Ferguson High School with a 4.9 weighted GPA who wants to attend Florida International University and become a civil rights lawyer.

“While we have many members here who embrace the attributes we represent at the clubs, Briana is the ideal representative of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. “She deserves to be named Youth of the Year and we congratulate her for all of her hard work.”

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 competes in the regional competition. Five regional winners then move on, and one will be named 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/she receives a new car courtesy of Toyota, scholarships and cash totaling $60,000. He/she, along with the other four regional runners-up, then travel to Washington, DC, and speak to members of Congress and meet the president.

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 healthy lifestyles. They should exemplify the critical impact that Boys & Girls Clubs have on the lives of young people. The scoring includes candidate essays, interview, speech, letters of recommendation and overall application quality.

For more information, visit www.bgcmia.org.


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