Yasamine S. Brown: Youth of the Year 2018
Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland is excited to introduce our 2018 Youth of the Year, Yasamine who joined our Anna Marie Whalen Clubhouse, located in Central East Oakland, two years ago as she searched for a safe and positive place to spend her afterschool hours.
Yasamine is currently a high school junior maintaining a GPA of 3.18. She has received multiple academic awards and has completed several Advanced Placement courses. She aspires to attend a major university and aims to become a Psychologist or Lawyer. Her teachers and counselors describe her as a positive role-model, self-motivated, resilient, and gritty individual.
Just as she does in school, Yasamine displays those same characteristics in the community—leading by example as a regular volunteer at multiple organizations addressing a variety of issues. Yasamine is particularly passionate about addressing the issue of homelessness and has dedicated countless hours to ensuring that the dislocated have access to food. Similarly, she has volunteered tirelessly to beautify Oakland neighborhoods and is a constant presence and positive role-model at summer youth programs.
“The Club has helped me challenge myself to be the best person I can be.”
Yasamine’s incredible empathy and care for others stems from the challenges and experiences she has endured growing up. As the oldest sibling in a working household, Yasamine learned about responsibility at a very early age. She is proud about the fact that her parents could count on her to assist her younger siblings with homework, to cook and clean around the house, and to take care
of her grandmother. Further, growing up as a young African American woman in Oakland has exposed Yasamine to countless issues and obstacles she not only overcame such as racial profiling, gender profiling, biases, discrimination, lack of opportunity, but hopes to bring attention to in her platform as BGCO’s 2018 Youth of the Year.
Finally, Yasamine believes that Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland also played a critical role in shaping who she is today. Shee says that the Club “has impacted my life tremendously in a positive way”. She believes that the Club has been there for her in a multitude of ways, from providing the simple yet necessary things ranging from “playful and happy faces”, a “positive atmosphere” and “an outlet for stress relief”; to providing “leadership and life skills” through real life work experience as a Junior Staff Member.
Please join us in congratulating Yasamine for her remarkable achievements thus far including the earning of this most prestigious honor as Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland’s outstanding 2018 Youth of the Year.
“Yasamine is a very active student who enjoys the ability to help others willingly, and keep a healthy, positive life.”
The Youth of the Year program celebrates 14 to 18 year-old student-members’ outstanding contributions to their family, school, community, and their Boys & Girls Club; recognizing their academic excellence, moral character, life goals, poise and public speaking, as well as personal challenges and obstacles they’ve overcome. Historically, each fall Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s regional winners have been honored at a Congressional Breakfast on Capitol Hill and also have a chance to meet the President of the United States in the White House. State winners each receive a $5,000 college scholarship; Regional winners each receive an engraved plaque, a $10,000 college scholarship, and compete on the national level. The National Youth of the Year receives an additional $25,000 college scholarship which is renewable each year up to a total of $100,000.00.