The Boys and Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley held their 2025 Youth of the Year event at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center on January 24.
Each year, members of the club in high school are nominated for the award, which recognizes their academic excellence, dedication to a healthy lifestyle, and outstanding leadership.
The candidates are expected to write three essays explaining their ambitions and goals, submit their high school transcripts, and acquire two letters of recommendation. They are then interviewed by a panel of judges and asked to give a three-minute speech detailing how the club has impacted them.
The award winner receives a $1000 scholarship and advances to compete in the Orange County Youth of the Year event.
SJHHS students, Allison Canchola (11), Caoimhin Grothe-Brinton (11), and Dana Hills High School student, Nevaeh Finnley (11) were selected as nominees for this year’s award. Canchola, Grothe-Brinton, and Finnley have been members of the Boys and Girls Club since third grade.
Finnley was named the winner of this year’s award.
According to Fennley, the hardest part about the process was “getting everything done while juggling [her] other activities like work and school” and “getting over being sick when doing the interview.” In the end, her hard work paid off and she also experienced personal growth.
“Competing for this award impacted me by allowing me to believe in myself more. I learned that I needed to trust myself instead of worrying or believing that I’m not doing things right,” said Finnley.
While there is only one winner, each candidate learned something from this experience and was honored to even be nominated.
“It pushed me to do something I don’t normally do,” said Canchola.
“Youth of the Year challenged me to improve my public speaking and compete against people I’ve grown up with. But in the end, it was more of an experience than a competition,” said Grothe-Brinton.
SJHHS student Adriana Martinez (11) was the winner of last year’s award.
“It challenged me in a lot of ways. After I won Youth of the Year, I had to speak at the Dana Point Yacht Club, a golf club, and a Bocce Ball. It challenged me to get out of my comfort zone. I feel like I have grown a lot,” said Martinez.
Before Martinez won the award, she did not think she had a chance because she didn’t consider herself to be outspoken and was hesitant about the speech portion of the competition. Additionally, this award is typically reserved for juniors or seniors, and Martinez was only a sophomore at the time.
“I think something that I have learned is to not doubt myself,” said Martinez.
“I’ve learned that maintaining patience is valuable and how to remain calm under lots of pressure,” said Grothe-Brinton.
Overall, the Youth of the Year competition is a great opportunity for high school students to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves.
Lastly, Boys and Girls Clubs of Capo Valley create a community for students, and the staff team is fully devoted to helping kids grow academically, emotionally, physically, and socially.
“My favorite part about the club is the people there. The staff are amazing people who are always willing to help and the other members there are inclusive. I have been able to meet some amazing people because of the club,” said Nevaeh Finnley.
Interested in becoming a member? Enroll today by visiting this step-by-step guide.
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