Melissa “Nila” Smith Honored for Driving Positive Change
ATLANTA – November 6, 2020 – Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) is honored to announce the winner of its 2020/2021 Youth of the Year award – Melissa “Nila” Smith from the A.W. “Tony” Matthews Boys & Girls Club. The prestigious award is BGCMA’s highest honor, recognizing teens from Clubs in the metro Atlanta area who are working hard, investing in themselves, and demonstrating leadership in their schools, communities, Clubs and career pursuits.
This year, 14 inspiring teens from Boys & Girls Club locations throughout metro Atlanta competed in the first-ever Livestream 2020 Youth of the Year Experience on Friday, November 6. Themed “Voices of Our Communities”, the event featured speeches from top teen leaders who are stepping up and driving positive change. As the culminating moment, Nila was announced Metro Atlanta Youth of the Year.
“We are so proud of all of our candidates and excited to welcome Nila as Youth of the Year for Metro Atlanta,” said David Jernigan, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. “It gives me such hope to see kids and teens like Nila with a strong vision toward the future using their voice to strengthen their communities and the world.”
Nila, a 15-year-old entrepreneur, has been a proud member of A.W. Tony Matthews Club since the fourth grade. As BGCMA’s Youth of the Year, Nila was awarded a $3,000 college scholarship, and in the spring of 2021, she will represent metro Atlanta as Youth of the Year at the statewide competition.
“I yearn to be Youth of the Year to be the ambassador for an organization that has poured into my life tremendously,” said Nila. “My Boys & Girls Club has made me feel complete, and as Youth of the Year, I will continue to show that we can continue to complete the lives of youth.”
Top honors were also awarded to Youth of the Year finalists Roderick Thomas Jr. of Camp Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club in Dawsonville, and Joshua Woods of Jesse Draper Boys & Girls Club in College Park. Both teens received $1,500 scholarships. The following Youth of the Year semi-finalists also received scholarship awards in the amount of $1,000: Samuel Fambrough of Douglas County Boys & Girls Club in Douglasville, Regina Martinez of A. Worley Brown Boys & Girls Club in Norcross, and Twilla Walton of Lawrenceville Boys & Girls Club in Lawrenceville.
Youth of the Year is a year-round character and leadership program that recognizes Club members who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership skills, and service to their community. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta also focuses on helping youth live healthy and succeed in college and career. In 2020, the organization is working to ensure that 90 percent of the youth it serves are graduating on time, living healthy, and giving back.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta thanks Bank of America, presenting sponsor of the Livestream Youth of the Year Experience, and all of its corporate and individual sponsors for opening doors for our youth.
To find out more about this year’s Youth of the Year event, visit www.bgcma.org/youthoftheyear/ .
For more information on how you can become involved in shaping great futures, visit www.bgcma.org/get_involved.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta’s mission is to positively impact the lives of children and teens, especially those who need us most, by providing a safe and engaging environment and programs that prepare and inspire them to achieve Great Futures. Through 20+ Clubs in 10 metro counties, trained and professional staff serve nearly 2,800 youth (ages 6-18) daily through programs that foster academic success, healthy lifestyles and character and leadership development. BGCMA also oversees Camp Kiwanis, a 160-acre outdoor residence camp. While it costs thousands of dollars to serve each member, families are only asked to pay between $60 and $135 per child each semester; and no child is turned away due to inability to pay. For more information, please visit www.bgcma.org.
Media Contact:
Adrienne Leon
Marketing & Communications Director
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
adrienne.leon@gmail.com
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