JAMERSIN REDFERN!!!!!!




As the highest honor, The Youth of Year award is given to a Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo member who achieves, despite a difficult background, in the areas of leadership, academics, service and/or arts. This awards ceremony is held each year to shed light on the developmental progress their youth make throughout the year to become strong, intelligent young adults while overcoming enormous odds.  

MEET ALL OF OUR 2012 YOUTH OF THE FINALISTS!

MONICA TORRES- John F. Beecher Clubhouse

Monica Torres is a member of the John F. Beecher Clubhouse and takes pride in her accomplishments in helping establish a thriving Kids Café program. When Monica walked through our doors she was shy and unsure of what she wanted to do. Through her love of Culinary Arts she quickly found solace in volunteering for the Kids Café Program, making it fun and interesting. Since the start of her volunteerism the list to assist in the Café continues to grow. Monica is a freshman at McKinley High School and is striving to achieve her goal of becoming a Culinary Arts Teacher and owning her own restaurant. 

When Sade Hellams became a member of the Eggertsville Clubhouse over 2 years ago she was very shy and reserved. Through programming and positive adult relationships she warmed up quickly and now is the first to welcome new members into the club. Sade attends City Honors High School is an active member on the volleyball team and a student that her teachers speak very highly of. She is a very tenacious young lady working hard to ensure her acceptance into Binghamton University with a goal of becoming a Pediatric Cardiologist. Sade spends her free time babysitting and volunteering at Global Village Foster Care and Therapy of Autistic Children Summit; she has a beautiful love for life.

Sierra West has been attending the Babcock Clubhouse for over 9 years. She has participated in countless programs and interclub activities striving for excellence in all she does. Sierra attends City Honors High School where she is a member of the band, Volleyball team and maintains a GPA of 3.8. Her goal of attending Yale University and becoming a Neo-Natal Surgeon is in her reach with her current path of success. She works hard and can always be relied on to help out in the Club, at home and in her community. At the Clubhouse Sierra demonstrates leadership skills and is a positive mentor to both new and younger children. You can always find her with a big smile on her face. 

Syreeta Yelverton has been a member of the Masten Clubhouse for 3 ½ years.  Syreeta better known as “Sky” is a very energetic, creative young lady with high moral standards.  She is involved in many extra-curricular activities at City Honors High School including Choir, Volleyball, Cheerleading, Color Guard and Dance.  Sky is also a mentor for the younger members at the Clubhouse and has completed over 2,000 volunteer hours, assisting with homework during power hour and countless volunteerism in the community. She has participated in Smart Girls, Job Readiness and a she is a member of the Masten Masterminds Keystone Club. Sky hopes to attend Cornell University to become a Chemical Engineer.  

TJ Hayes found his way to the Southside Clubhouse through employment with the Mayor Summer Youth program in 2008 and has been a member since. He has a great sense of humor and always keeps a positive twist on life giving the younger members someone to look up to. TJ has made huge contributions to the clubhouse especially with the hockey program, spending his weekends teaching younger members to skate and play. TJ has also been the spokesperson for our Annual 2 Pack a Backpack school supply drive; stepping out of his comfort zone to raise donations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo. At Hutch Tech you can find TJ on the Honor Roll and he actively participates on the soccer and hockey teams. He will be attending Erie Community College in the fall to pursue his career goal of becoming an Officer of Law Enforcement. 

The staff at the William C. Baird Clubhouse selected Terrance Hover-Rumph as their 2012 Youth of the Year representative because of his positive influence inside and outside of the Clubhouse. Terrance has been a member for 6 years and has truly grown into a remarkable young man that the younger members look up to. Terrance’s personal goal is to eliminate conflict in the Clubhouse, especially during competitive play; he has a rule that you must always say “good game” even if you lose.  He is excellent at calming situations down by being a compassionate listener and resolving conflicts.  Terrance attends Frederick Law Olmstead High School and is involved in many extra-curricular activities like soccer, basketball, tennis and band.   He also volunteers at the Club tutoring the younger members, working in the Kids Café and data entry. Terrance is determined young man with a career goal of becoming an Architect.