YOUTH OF THE YEAR

Youth of the Year

Each year the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows selects a Male and Female Youth of the Year who represent the “Best of the Best” of what Club members can achieve during their time at the Boys & Girls Club. These members are honored at the Annual Awards Banquet in November. To read more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Youth of the Year program click the button.

Lynzee Vasquez

2020 Honoree

Lynnzee Vasquez is a senior at Hug High School. She has been a member at the Club @ Hug for the last three years and serves as the Keystone Vice President. Lynnzee is a dedicated Jr. Staff at the DWR facility and aspires to be a Criminal Investigator. When she's not at the club or studying for her honors and AP classes as a distinguished member of her school's Health Science Academy, she plays softball and manages her school's football and basketball teams. Lynnzee aims to be an advocate for the youth and her peers and will be attending TMCC in the fall of 2021.

Albeiro Lopez-Sanchez

2020 Honoree

Albeiro (Alby) Lopez-Sanchez has been a member for over 3 years and was recently voted Keystone President at the Club @ Hug. Alby has a magnetic personality, he uses it to recruit new members to the club and to events. He is always the first one to volunteer for events and projects. When he's not doing community service with the club, or working as a Junior Staff at the Lemmon Valley Facility, he's living his dream of playing high school football. Alby has succeeded on the field as well as in the classroom and his constant commitment to the club is what makes him our Male Youth of the Year. Now a senior at Hug High School, Alby plans to join the military and take over his dad's family drywall business.

Destiny Zepeda

2019 Honoree

Destiny is a senior at Hug High School and has been a Club member for the past four years. She is a multi-sport athlete, member of the National Honors Society and active leader at her school and at the Boys & Girls Club. She
shares, “My Club keeps me sane from all the outside obstacles and pressures I face. Ever since freshman year, the Boys & Girls Club has felt like home.”

Jaylon Weaver

2019 Honoree

Jaylon is a sophomore at Spanish Springs High School and attends the Club’s Donald W. Reynolds Facility. He first joined the Boys & Girls Club in elementary school and has been a committed member ever since.
He can regularly be found helping in the Club’s kitchen, refereeing Club athletics and leading teen service projects. “The Club has saved my life,” Jaylon said. “I am the man I am today because of the Boys & Girls Club."

Monica Okopal

2018 Honoree

For the past five years, Monica has found her second home at the Boys & Girls Club. Her staff and mentors at the Club walked with her through some of the brightest and darkest points of her life, all the while, as she puts it, “reminding me of the greatness that I am capable of achieving.” That greatness has certainly come to fruition! Today, Monica is an exceptional student at Damonte Ranch High School, an all-star Leader in Training at the Club, and an inspiration to those around her.

John Joseph (J.J.) Bolinger

2018 Honoree

A member since the age of six, J.J. is a true Club kid, participating in nearly every program at the Boys & Girls Club over the years. After losing his dad at a young age, the Club also helped J.J. find the male role models he needed to navigate the highs and lows of his young life. Through it all, J.J. has emerged as a dedicated and compassionate young man.

Natalie Grady

2017 Honoree

Natalie credits the Club with building the foundation for the person she is today. Her Boys & Girls Club story began nearly a decade ago, when her mom found Club to be the safe and affordable afterschool care they both needed. At the Club, Natalie found friends, mentors and a positive environment where she has flourished into a driven and determined young woman with an extraordinarily bright future.

Joseph Ryan

2017 Honoree

“Because of the Club, I was able to do things that I never thought I would do,” Joseph shared. Even through a rocky childhood, Joseph saw the Club as a safe place full of opportunities and new experiences. Now a high school senior with his sights set on college, Joseph is using his own experiences to impact the lives of younger Club members and inspire all who meet him.

Kacie Nicholas

2016 Honoree

Through many ups and downs in her 17 years of life, Kacie found the support and consistency she needed at the Boys & Girls Club. The Club’s guidance helped her navigate through difficulties and shape her into the bright, driven young lady she is today. A senior at Sparks High School, Kacie stands out as a leader among her peers and a positive example to younger Club members.

Jared Porter

2016 Honoree

A shy child, Jared had trouble making connections with others, but at the Boys & Girls Club, he found his outlet in sports. His bonds with Club staff through athletics helped drive him to succeed, both on and off the field. Today, Jared is a Leader in Training, acting as a mentor to younger kids. He is First Char in Galena's Camber Orchestra and he will graduate from Galena High School this spring, and will no doubt continue to shine as the all-star he has become.

Gissel Gonzales Aguilar

2015’s Honoree

Growing up, Gissel’s home life was a constant struggle. She began attending the Boys & Girls Club at a young age, and it quickly became her second home. She shares that the Club staff became a partner with her mom in raising her and her siblings, providing a safe and fun place to make friends and find new experiences. Gissel is now a senior at Coral Academy of Science and will graduate with special honors this spring. She plans to
attend college next fall to become a nuclear medicine technologist.

Carlos Inda-Lopez

2015’s Honoree

Carlos and his family moved to Reno when he was a boy. Always the shy child, Carlos struggled to make friends and fit in. He connected with the Boys & Girls Club as a high school freshman, and since then, he has flourished. Today, Carlos is a leader, mentor and accomplished artist. He credits the Club with helping him find his voice and giving him the self-assurance to express himself and pursue his passions. Carlos will graduate from Hug High this spring and plans to attend college to study the arts and graphic design.

Nikita Cleveland

2014’s Honoree

Nikita describes the Boys & Girls Club as the first stable environment she’d had in her life, and through many ups and downs, the Club has remained that constant source of support. Nikita is a senior at Hug High School and is proud to share her story of the Club’s essential role in her life.

Eric Cruz

2014’s Honoree

Despite challenges at home, Eric has found the Club to be a refuge full of supportive mentors, exciting opportunities and chances for personal growth. He is highly active at the Club as a Leader in Training and will graduate this spring from Coral Academy of Science.

Eva Hernandez

2013’s Honoree

Eva Hernandez has refused to become a statistic. Although born into circumstances with the odds seemingly stacked against her, Eva has found the strength and resolve to choose something more for herself, with the Boys & Girls Club right by her side. From academic support to leadership clubs to job skills training, Eva has found the resources and family environment at the Club to help her break free from stereotypes and write her own future. As a junior at Damonte Ranch High School, Eva is a shining example of character, resilience and determination.

Jevin Daugherty

2013’s Honoree

Jevin Daugherty’s experiences as a child made him unsure whether there would be anyone in his life whom he could trust. Tempted by the negative paths those around him were taking, Jevin seemed to be heading in the same direction, until he moved to a new city and joined the Boys & Girls Club. Motivated by new experiences and relationships, Jevin began to find his own voice at the Club. Today, as a senior at Galena High, Jevin’s quiet confidence and lofty plans for his future are a testament to the power of a strong support system and caring mentors in a young person’s life.

Felix Cox

2012’s Honoree

Felix’s driving force can be summed up in one word: basketball. In fact, it was basketball that first brought him to the Boys & Girls Club. Of course, once he was at the Club, he found much more than simply an athletics program. With a father who was barely involved in his life, Felix struggled to find his place as a child and longed for the influence of a father. At the Club, Felix found acceptance, significance and role models that helped him navigate life. With this support, Felix turned his common story of a childhood without a father into an extraordinary tale of strength and resolve. While many of his friends under similar circumstances have been pulled into negative lifestyles, Felix has chosen to rise above, learn from the mistakes of those around him and do something significant with his life. Today, as a senior at Hug High, Felix is preparing to graduate, attend college and create a bright future for himself.

Katie Harrison

2012’s Honoree

Katie is the ultimate “Club kid.” A member since she was in elementary school, Katie has grown up at the Boys & Girls Club and participated in nearly every program and activity available. From homework time to leadership clubs, health and life skills classes to drama productions, Katie has taken advantage of everything the Club has to offer, and through it all, has emerged as a leader among younger members and her peers. But as a child, the successes Katie sees today didn’t always seem attainable. Raised by her extended family, Katie was forced to step into an adult role at a very young age, even taking care of those who were supposed to be taking care of her. At times, she seemed destined to fall into the same negative patterns as those around her. Despite the uncertainty and instability she found at home, the Boys & Girls Club was there to provide the support and care she desperately needed. Today, Katie is a junior at Hug High with plans for college. She stands as a shining example of endurance and resilience in the face of incredible challenge.

Alex Gasetoto and Tracy Herrera

2011’s Honorees

Alex Gasetoto: Moving from house to house and school to school as a child, Alex never seemed to stay in one place long enough to make friends and find a home. That is, until he was introduced to the Boys & Girls Club. The Club provided stability, and through the midst of recent tragedy, the Club has remained a refuge for Alex. Now 18 and a high school senior, Alex has emerged as a leader at his Club, setting an example of consistency, positivity and incredible resilience.

Tracy Herrera: Born with a disability to immigrant parents, Tracy faced cultural, social and language barriers right from the start. She struggled in school and withdrew from the world until she became a member of the Boys & Girls Club. At the Club, she found the acceptance she craved and the confidence she needed to succeed. Today, as a 17-year-old high school senior, Tracy is excelling in school and volunteers her time at the Club every day to help children who aren’t much different than she once was.

Tiffany Gallegos

2010’s Honoree

Like so many young girls, Tiffany grew up searching for acceptance and belonging. Surrounded by many negative influences as a youngster, her pursuit unfortunately brought her down some wrong paths. But, she refused to give up and eventually found her outlet: dance. As her passion for dance grew, she connected with positive friends and influences that led her to the Boys & Girls Club. Today, as a 17-year-old senior at ACE High School, Tiffany is looking forward to a bright future.

Tiffany is an important member of the dance program at The Club at the Larry D. Johnson Community Center and has found acceptance and belonging with the staff and her peers at the Club. Even through the most challenging times, Tiffany refused to give up hope, and today she stand as an example that with determination and hard work, anything is possible. It is for these reasons that Tiffany has been selected as the 2010 Female Youth of the Year candidate.

Emmanuel Williams

2010’s Honoree

Emmanuel Williams joined the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows at the age of 5, after relocating to Northern Nevada from Nashville, Tenn. to live with his grandparents and start fresh after a difficult home life.

At the Club, Emmanuel, his three brothers and a sister found their second family, a positive place to pursue their passions and find a path to success. With mentorship at the Club and the support of Grandma and Grandpa Love, Emmanuel has become an accomplished musician and athlete. The 18-year-old Hug High School student also excels in the classroom.

At age 12 and 13, Emmanuel’s involvement with the Club grew. He became involved in programs like Leaders in Training, Keystone Club and Money Matters, to name a few. In the teen center at the East 9th Street location, Emmanuel is known among his peers as a leader, always arriving with a smile, providing guidance for younger members, and inspiring the members who will follow in his footsteps. With help and guidance from Club staff, Emmanuel has developed a vision for his future that includes college and a career in the music industry. He started attending Crown College in Minnesota this winter. Emmanuel’s perseverance, upbeat attitude and dedication to helping others have earned him the honor of 2010 Male Youth of the Year.