Exceptional Local Teen Wins 2011 Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley
Monday, February 28, 2011 - 13:34 - Brianna
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Frank Wakin, our 2011 Youth of the Year, and Maria Machuca, our first runner-up, hold their awards proudly after the announcement.
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Selected
among several local outstanding youth, 16-year-old Frank Wakin will compete against other Boys & Girls Club
members for the California Youth of the Year title, and a $1,000 college
scholarship from Tupperware Brands Corporation.
Being
named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can
receive. As BGCA’s premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year recognizes
outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and Boys
& Girls Club, as well as overcoming personal challenges and obstacles.
Youth of the Year honorees are shining examples and living proof that great
futures start at Boys & Girls Clubs.
If Wakin
wins at the state competition, he
will compete for the title of Pacific
Region Youth of the Year, and an additional $10,000 scholarship from Tupperware
Brands. Five regional winners will advance to Washington, D.C.,
in September to compete for the title of BGCA’s National Youth of the Year. The
National Youth of the Year will receive an additional scholarship of up to
$50,000 from The Rick and Susan Goings Foundation, and will have the
opportunity to meet with the President of the United States in the White House.
Wakin, a member of BGCNV for
over eight years, is an outstanding member of the Clubs and displays strong community
leadership. He is currently a junior at New Technology
High School in Napa,
and spends his time trying to find resources that will benefit Napa teens.
In addition, he volunteers 3-4 days a week at the Boys & Girls Club
in American Canyon.
Wakin ultimately would like to study Aerospace Engineering at Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo.
“Coming to the Club had a big
effect on my life, and has helped shape me into the person I am today. The Club has been a second family to me,
helping whenever I needed it,” wrote Wakin in an essay. He continued, “I also learned the importance
of giving back to the community.”
Maria Machuca, a senior at Napa High
School, is the first runner-up for Youth of the
Year. Machuca has been a member of
BGCNV’s Napa Clubhouse for over five years, and participates in their Teen Center,
Keystone Club, and Junior Staff. Her
passion for being a responsible and good person is what stood out the most.
“We could not be more proud and
honored to have such excellent representatives of Boys & Girls Clubs of
Napa Valley. These two members truly
display all of the traits we try to instill in all the members we serve,” says
Eric Dreikosen, Director of Operations of Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley.
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