Our five nominees included:

Nicole Condon (Teen Turf Club), is a senior at Battleground High School. Nicole has been a Club member for the past two years and currently serves as a volunteer at the Teen Turf Club. At school, she is involved in Ladies of Leadership, Cheerleading, and Spirit Club. After graduation, Nicole hopes to attend Washington State University and major in psychology.
Adriana Flores (Clinton & Gloria John Clubhouse), our youngest nominee, is a freshman at Hudson’s Bay High School. She has a big family and plays an important role in looking after her younger siblings. Adriana joined Club in the 7th grade, and since then has been a great role model for our younger Club members, participating in Junior Staff, College Prep, and our Keystone program.
Samantha Schoene (Clinton & Gloria John Clubhouse), is a senior at Columbia River High School. Samantha has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club since she was in 2nd grade. As an advocate for giving back to the community, she is a dedicated member of the Keystone program and participates in many Club and community service projects. After graduation, Samantha will play soccer at Lane Community College, where she plans to major in Special Education.
Twristan Waite (Clinton & Gloria John Clubhouse), is a senior at Hudson’s Bay High School. Twristan has been a Boys & Girls Club member since 1st grade. An active Club volunteer, Twristan consistently provides a positive role model for Club members of all ages. Twristan is currently the President of the Keystone group, and leads a variety of service projects. Twristan has also established leadership qualities as a member of the Junior Fire Cadet program. After high school, she hopes to pursue a degree in Para medicine and become a firefighter.
Ryan Ziegler (Clinton & Gloria John Clubhouse), is a senior at Hudson’s Bay High School and currently studies diesel technology at the Skills Center. Ryan has been a Boys & Girls Club member since he was in the 2nd grade, and currently serves as a volunteer. Ryan has received the Presidential Service Award in 2010 and 2011 for his outstanding service to Club, totaling over 250 hours. Ryan plans to continue studying diesel technology, join the Air Force, and one day open his own auto repair shop.

Needless to say, our five judges (each a leader in the Clark County community) had a tough time picking just one to name Youth of the Year. After each candidate delivered their speeches and completed an interview session, and a long discussion by the judges- a winner was announced.

The BGCSW 2012 Youth of the Year was awarded to Twristan Waite! Twristan, or TW, exemplifies the type of Club member we hope our younger members aspire to be.

Twristan is a senior at Hudson’s Bay High School and an active member of the Fire Cadet program. She has been a proud member of the Boys & Girls Club since the 1st grade, and continues to be a positive role model in and outside of Club. Twristan is currently serving as the President of our Keystone program, a group dedicated to leadership and community service. In fact, Twristan was one of eleven chosen among thousands of Keystone members to be on the National Keystone Conference planning committee.
Twristan has turned challenges into positive learning experiences, and hopes to inspire young Club members everywhere. Twristan “dares to dream big,” and she is a firm believer that through hard work and dedication, anything is possible. After high school, Twristan hopes to attend Central Washington University to further her education in medicine, and soon after, become a firefighter.

Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. As Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as overcoming personal challenges and obstacles. Youth of the Year encourages Club members to reach their full potential by achieving academic success, leading healthy lifestyles, and contributing to their communities. Youth of the Year honorees are shining examples and living proof that great futures truly do start at Boys & Girls Clubs.

Twristan will represent Southwest Washington at the state level in March, and all of us at the Boys & Girls Club wish her the best as she moves forward in the Youth of the Year competition!

Starting September 14, 2011, put your $25 enrollment on your Macy’s Credit Card and you’ll get 10% rewards on most Macy’s Card purchases* from your enrollment date through December 31, 2011.

Thanks to you, Macy’s will donate $10, up to $15 million to participating charities.  The first $3 million raised will benefit Go Red For Women.  The balance, up to an additional $12 million, will be donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Futures Without Violence, formerly Family Violence Prevention Fund as well as local Boys & Girls Clubs like ours!

Money Matters: Make It Count^SM Program

 VANCOUVER, Wash., September 27, 2011 — Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington was named the Pacific Region winner of the Charles Schwab Foundation’s Money Matters: Make It Count^SM Innovation Award for its creative delivery of financial education. In an effort to recognize Clubs that have gone above and beyond in teaching youth the basics of personal finance, Charles Schwab Foundation has awarded Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington with a $3,000 grant.

In their third year, the annual awards recognize Clubs that exemplify unique and enterprising techniques for delivering the Money Matters curriculum, a Charles Schwab Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America teen financial education program. Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington was one of five Clubs nationwide to receive this award.

 To integrate Money Matters concepts into daily Club operation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington developed a partnership with a local bank. With help from bank volunteers, the Club created the Boys & Girls Club (BGC) Bank, where teen Club members took on leadership roles to design and operate the bank. Club members led marketing and advertising initiatives, implemented a Club-wide contest to choose the BGC Bank design and organized bank information sessions.

Teens also used skills learned in the entrepreneurship section of Money Matters to open the Club Bucks Store, where members could spend Club Bucks earned for good behavior. Through both of these ventures, Club members learned how to manage a checking account, write checks, earn interest on a savings account and also learned vital job interview skills.

 To learn more about Money Matters, visit moneymattersmakeitcount.com.

Members of the Southwest Washington Tiki Torches Club, a character and leadership program for Boys & Girls Club youth ages 11-13, began participating in a financial literacy program called Money Matters, which seeks to provide behavior changing financial education to help teens get on the path toward budgeting, saving, and planning for college and financial freedom. To make this program more hands-on and have a greater impact, the Torch Club partnered with local business, Pacific Continental Bank, and members worked with employees each week to create a bank at the Club. This program not only allows teens to learn the ins and outs of the banking world, but younger Club members develop money saving habits as well. Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs are recognized for positive behavior by receiving “Club Bucks” from staff and the Club Bank will offer incentives, such as interest on their Club Bucks, to members who open accounts and utilize the bank. Teens participating in the Money Matters program are also developing positive relationships with banking professionals during job shadow opportunities at the Bank’s Downtown Vancouver Branch and weekly interactions with guest volunteers.

“We are pleased to be recognized with the Staples Torch Club Award for this financial education program that was developed specifically to address the needs of at-risk youth” said said Malia Vassar, Teen Site Coordinator of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington.  “This banking program reaches teens at such a critical time. We hope to positively impact the saving and spending behaviors of our members by providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions throughout their lives.”

Staples Torch Club Awards are presented for the most outstanding programs developed by and implemented in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.  Each year, hundreds of entries are submitted in four categories: Education, Service to Club and Community, Health and Fitness, and Social Recreation. Winners are selected based on their creativity, relevance to Torch Club members or the community, and the demonstration of Torch Club members’ character and leadership skills during the project’s planning and execution. The Club intends to use the $2500 cash prize to continue to provide financial education to middle and high school members.