Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County (BGCLC) held its annual Youth of the Year competition on February 18th in partnership with Colorado State University (CSU) and Front Range Community College (FRCC). Fourteen Junior and four Senior Youths of the Year from Clubs across the county presented speeches to a panel of judges. A total of 160 guests, including family members, friends, Club staff, and community members, were there to support the Youth of the Year candidates. The winning Junior Youth of the Year is Samantha Monge, who is a 6th grader and attends Estes Park Elementary School. The winning Senior Youth of the Year is Jose Guzman, an 8th-grade student who attends New Vision Charter School in Loveland. Jose will receive $15,500 in academic scholarships from CSU, FRCC, and BGCLC. The three runner-ups will each receive $1,000 in scholarships from BGCLC.
Special thanks to our competition judges: Dr. Blanche Hughes, Vice President of Student Affairs at CSU; Dr. Aparna Palmer, Vice President, Front Range Community College; Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally; Ryan Caldwell, Assistant Branch Manager, Bank of Colorado; Dr. Dwayne Schmitz, Chief Institutional Officer, Poudre School District; Fred Garcia, City of Loveland Human Services Commission Member
The Youth of the Year competition is a national Boys & Girls Clubs of America initiative to foster a new generation of leaders fully prepared to live and lead in a diverse, global, and integrated economy. Our Youth of the Year will be celebrated at Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County’s Spring Soiree on June 9, 2023, at the Budweiser Events Center.
Senior Youth of the Year: Jose
Jose has been attending the Club since he was nine. Now fourteen and in the eighth grade at New Vision Charter School, he has become a true leader in the Club. Every day when Jose first arrives, he seeks out every staff member to say hello. When he isn’t in the gym practicing for his next basketball game, he works with the Keystone Leadership Program, attends youth diversity conferences, and brightens everyone’s day with a smile and a laugh. Jose wants to go to college for a medical degree to become either a doctor or a surgeon.
Junior Youth of the Year: Samantha
Samantha is a 6th grader at Estes Park Elementary School and has been attending Club for four years. Samantha shows her kindness and helpfulness every day, demonstrating her leadership qualities by always being ready to help everyone have a great day. She is always willing to put others above herself and bring comfort to all her friends. Samantha wants to be a famous artist or singer so she can be creative and make her own path.
