When Kennyce Howard joined Boys & Girls Club in 2011, she was admittedly very shy, but you would hardly believe that if you met her today. Over the past seven years, she has blossomed into a confident leader who can light up a room with her infectious smile and enduring positivity. Her mentors describe her as a “charitable self-starter” with a “resolute ambition” to succeed and these qualities are displayed often by her tenacious and persistent attitude.
After joining her high school’s cheer squad, Kennyce co-founded the Brookhaven Blackhawks cheerleading squad at her Club. In an effort to raise money to attend the National Keystone Conference, she started a healthy snack store at the Club. And once she became a junior staff member at the Club, she took the lead over a cooking program that explores new cuisines each session.
Furthering her natural ability to leadership, Kennyce has taken on a number of leadership roles, including serving as part of the Teen Ambassadors program and as vice president of the Keystone program.
“I hope I can inspire other teens in my community to follow a positive leadership path.”
Kennyce has also discovered her love for serving the community.
In her Club, she works with young girls as part of Absolutely Fabulous (AbFab) – a mentoring group for middle school girls she co-founded with her own mentor, Kelsey Russel. Russel believes that Kennyce’s role has been “integral to the evolution of the program” and credits her largely for the impact it has had at Brookhaven.
Even so, this young leader is far from complete in making an impact of her own.
“I want to go around the country and help implement some of the programs that I founded at my Club.”
“I want to go around the country and help implement some of the programs that I founded at my Club.”
She is determined to reach her goals – free from distractions – and vows to never change her mind about becoming a surgeon despite the hard work and dedication she knows it will take.
“All of the parties, boys, and friends become irrelevant because I know all of that can wait until after I’m done achieving my dreams.”
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