The Boys & Girls Club Story

5 things military kids wish you knew

By the time I graduated high school, I had been to nine different schools. You guessed it: I’m a military kid. My dad joined the Air Force before I was born and was deployed to Korea for a year just days before my 16^th birthday.

My story is not entirely unique. Military kids move six to nine times on average, and we all face the same kinds of challenges as we navigate the military and civilian worlds.

But while there are nearly 2 million of us, there's a lot you might not know about our lives. So, in honor of the Month of the Military Child, here are a few things we wish you knew:

1. Supportive relationships make a difference.
   

   One of the best resources I found on base was my Boys & Girls Clubs of America-affiliated Youth Center. My first day there, everyone was so welcoming and warm. But it’s my second time there that really got me. They all remembered my name. More than that, they remembered me — they were genuinely interested in my story and my ideas. That meant a lot to me. It still does.

   You meet new people all the time as a military kid. The relationships that make you feel involved, engaged and heard are the ones that stick no matter where you go. Those are the kinds of relationships I found at my Youth Center, and I still rely on them today.

2. We’re resilient but not indestructible.
   

   When transfers, deployments and injuries in the line of duty are the norm for your family, you learn to be especially ready for anything life throws at you. But those social and emotional skills don’t come standard. You can’t learn to perfectly manage your emotions from experience alone.

   Programs that prepare military kids for the challenges they’ll face on and off base are simply a must. It’s like basic training for everyday life.

3. Continuity is key — especially with STEM.
   

   With each new school, there are new people to meet, new cafeteria lunches to enjoy (or not) and new academic requirements to contend with. It can be a challenge to stay on track, especially in highly technical STEM subjects.

   Getting consistent academic support from different Youth Centers is a big help. Thanks to a partnership between BGCA and Raytheon more military kids than ever are getting their hands on advanced technologies and expert support too through the STEM Centers of Innovation being built nationwide on or near military bases.

4. Reintegration can be stressful!
   

   You’ve seen the videos of kids diving into their parent’s arms after a long deployment. That joy is real and those moments are priceless. But the days, weeks and months that follow can be rough going. It’s a big adjustment for the whole family, especially if your parent was injured in the line of duty. Military kids need a little extra care and understanding during those changes.

5. We’re twice as likely to join the military as our peers.
   

   There is a strong sense of pride, commitment and service that goes into being a military family. It’s no wonder so many of us follow in our parents’ footsteps and join the armed services ourselves. It’s an important point to remember — an investment in our military kids is an investment in the next generations of our nation’s men and women in uniform.

They say change is the only constant. That's certainly been true for me. Fortunately, I've had my family and the Boys & Girls Clubs to rely on. While it's a challenging life, I wouldn't give it up for the world. I know a lot of other proud military kids feel the same way.

If you know a military kid, put your newfound knowledge to work and show them your appreciation this month. It won’t go unnoticed.

By Kaila L., National Military Youth of the Year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Boys & Girls Clubs of America champions America’s youth, ensuring they have opportunities based on their potential, not their ZIP code. To partner with us on building great futures, please contact us at [email protected].

 

My Amazing Time at the Radio Disney Music Awards

Last September, I was honored to be named Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year. I feel privileged to serve as the voice for the more than 4 million young people served at Clubs every year. My journey has been the experience of a lifetime. I never would have imagined all the blessings that have come to me. Like last week, for instance.

At the Radio Disney Music Awards in Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, I was presented the Heroes For Change Award for my work with BGCA. It was a jam-packed adventure of a day.

Disney gave me backstage passes, so I was able to see some of my favorite artists up-close. I even had access to the VIP after-party. And my time on the red carpet felt like a dream. I came right after Fifth Harmony and before Blake Michael. I felt like a star with photographers and media being so interested in my involvement.

But my favorite part (besides walking the red carpet!) was meeting Club alum Jennifer Lopez, who received the Hero Award for her work with BGCA. I've always looked up to J-Lo as a role model for how I might inspire others. It was incredible to be honored in the same category as her.

From left: fellow award winner Sloan Peterson; Exec. Dir. David Ambroz, Corp. Citizenship & Social Responsibility, Disney-ABC TV Group; Maryah; J-Lo; and Radio Disney V.P. Programming and G.M. Phil Guerini during check presentation.

I was nervous but super-excited to meet J-Lo. When she walked into the room, my eyes got so big! To my surprise, Radio Disney donated a check for $10,000 to BGCA on behalf of me and Jennifer. I felt so special and proud to stand beside her. It was humbling to know we share the same passion to help kids and spark great futures.

Maryah Sullivan is the 2014-15 National Youth of the Year.

My thanks to Disney and Radio Disney for providing me with this amazing opportunity and encouraging me to lead, succeed and inspire. I will take what I've learned as National Youth of the Year and continue to spread the word to young people to give back to their community, make a difference and inspire others to make positive change.

Maryah Sullivan Named National Youth of the Year

National Youth of the Year Maryah Sullivan

Congratulations to Maryah Sullivan, who was named Boys & Girls Clubs of America's 2014 National Youth of the Year about an hour ago during a Congressional Breakfast in Washington, D.C.

Maryah, who hails from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, will serve as BGCA’s official teen spokesperson and teen ambassador over the next year. Many thanks to Tupperware Brands for its generous sponsorship of the Youth of the Year program.

To learn more about Maryah and her five exceptional co-finalists, please visit BGCA.org/YOY.

Kiana Knolland is Named National Youth of the Year

This morning at a Congressional Breakfast in Washington, D.C., Kiana Knolland was named BGCA’s 2013-14 National Youth of the Year. The obstacles this young woman has overcome to place herself in this position are nothing less than a testament to her strong character and determination to never give up.

A member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas for 13 years, Kiana credits the Wichita organization for instilling her with the confidence, motivation and work ethic to pursue her life-long dream to become a lawyer. A childhood rife with injustice would cause some kids to distrust the legal profession. But Kiana’s difficult background only strengthened her resolve to attend college and law school.

As a high schoool sophomore, her determination to obtain a quality education was rewarded with a full scholarship to a prominent local private school. That same drive led the local district attorney to mentor Kiana. It also helped her secure one of only 13 paid internships at the state’s largest law firm last summer. Today, she’s taken the next step toward a career in the legal field as a freshman at Howard University.

Congratulations are also due to our National Youth of the Year co-finalists: Regional Youth of the Year representatives Jesse Friedman, Yossymar Rojas, Martha Olang and Meeri Shin; and Military Youth of the Year RaShaan Allen. Each of them have done themselves and their Clubs proud. To learn more about each of these exceptional young people, click here. Look for full coverage of this week's National Youth of the Year events in the next issue of Connections.

Nick Foley: My Year as National Youth of the Year

My year as National YOY was by far the best year I have ever had.  I had so many incredible experiences, and many of them were once in a lifetime experiences.  I was able to travel all around the country, even other parts of the world, just talking about how Boys & Girls Clubs of America has impacted and even saved my life. 

I was able to try to inspire others to become Boys & Girls Club members, or even to support one of the greatest movements there is, the Boys & Girls Club Movement. 

Many of these things were  very exciting times:  getting to go into the Oval Office of the White House to meet with President Obama, being on the field at a World Series game, and even attending events and meeting many Olympians in London at the 2012 Summer Olympics!

Nick Foley (second from left) joins the 2011 Youth of the Year finalists in the Oval Office with President Obama.

All of these incredible experiences were just a small piece of my amazing year.  Actually, one of my favorite trips was to Ft. Worth, Texas, to attend the National Keystone Conference.  Of course Keystone Conferences are always my favorite times of the year, but this one was even more special.  This year, I was fortunate enough to be a part of the conference, and speak to all 1500 teens at the opening session of the conference.  This was important to me because I remember all those other conferences over the years where I looked up to the speakers on stage inspiring us, but now it was my turn to be up there. That was a big moment for me, and added to an incredible year as National YOY. 

I am so excited for Trei Dudley to have an extraordinary year as the new National YOY, and I really hope she just takes it all in, because it will be such a fast and exciting year. 

Thinking back on it all one last time, the biggest thing is this… 
Many people know my story of how I was abandoned by my parents, and never really had a place to call home, constantly moving around wondering what kind of family I would have next.  I finally got that family when I was adopted, and when I found my Club Sarah Heinz House, but this year I found something else. 

Nick Foley, BGCA's 2011-2012 National Youth of the Year

I found a much larger family, and now when I travel all over the country, going place to place, I have aunts and uncles waiting for me there, my BGCA family, my Tupperware family, and everyone else who has believed in me, supported me and all of the 4 million kids in Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  I can never thank you all enough for that. 

Thank you for the best year of my life!