After 3 ½ years of dedication, hard work and focus, it is more than exciting to be able to say that I have finished my undergraduate studies a semester early. Graduating from college has been one of the biggest accomplishments of my life; not only for me but also for my family, as I am the first one in my family to attend college.

I had many opportunities that I will never forget during these last few years, and Boys & Girls Clubs played a key role through it all. I was given my first job in the field of public relations at a local Boys & Girls Club near the town I went to school in. At this Club, I was not only able to gain experience in my field of study, but I also had the opportunity to build the Keystone and Youth of the Year Programs from the ground up. Being able to have my own group of teens is something that I will never forget.

Besides the actual school and work experience, I was given many other opportunities that I believe were the result of my involvement with the Club. In 2007, I was able to spend a week at a conference and shadowing marketing professionals. I was also able to spend a week doing an internship at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where I got an inside look at what being on the National Staff is all about. I was also featured on mtvU as an activist for Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2007. In 2008, I took a big leap and spent the entire summer in Washington D.C. doing an internship at an international communications firm, where I was able to reunite with three former regional youths of the year from 2005. I honestly believe that if it had not been for the Club, I would have never had been outgoing and courageous enough to participate in these kinds of experiences.

College has been one of the most exciting times of my life, and as I reflect on my time in school I think about all of the wonderful friends that I made, the great influence certain professors had on me, and the wonderful fact that I’ve had the Boys & Girls Club support me throughout the whole thing. I am so thankful that not only did BGCA and my hometown Club get me to college; they were able to see me make it through it.