By Stacee Sledge
One doesn’t have to look far to find remarkable, inspirational stories at Boys & Girls Clubs across the United States, and Whatcom County is no different. Its four Clubs provide a structured, nurturing place for young people to go after school, where they can find support – and the path to a successful future.
Each year, Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County announces its Youth of the Year, a member selected to represent the Club at a state competition held each March.
Fifteen-year-old Tina La – who attended the Bellingham Club off and on for many years and is now involved with the Ferndale Club – was this year’s recipient.
Kayleigh Knapp, Marketing and Communications Manager for Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County, was impressed with all the candidates’ speeches in the run-up to the Youth of the Year decision – but particularly Tina’s.
“She started off speaking in Vietnamese, and then switched to English and talked about how she didn’t learn English until she was in first and second grade,” Kayleigh says. “She now speaks it amazingly well.”
Kayleigh says a longtime goal of Tina’s was to do well in school – which she’s done, with help from the Boys & Girls Club.
“Her school accomplishments have been amazing,” she says. “Tina worked hard to bring her grades up and not let English being her second language be a barrier for her.”
Tina moved back and forth between Bellingham and Vietnam five times over 10 years. When she first attended the Bellingham Club, she was a kindergartener who spoke no English.
“By chance, I met a teen at the Club, named Vang, who spoke Vietnamese, too,” she says.
Vang Le would talk with Tina every day, explaining to her what was happening, and helping her navigate day-to-day challenges.
“He became my male role model,” says Tina. Vang was also named a Youth of the Year and eventually became a staff member before attending Western Washington University. He’s now a board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County. (You can read more about Vang Le here.)
Moving back and forth so often over the years was difficult for Tina, as was getting acclimated to school – but with Vang’s help, she succeeded.
“Vang helped me with speaking English and with my homework,” she says. “Some people want to hang out with their friends, not a little kid – but he was really nice and would help me.”
Even during the times when Tina didn’t yet speak English fluently, she always loved returning to the Club when coming back from Vietnam. “I was always excited to go back because of how much fun I was having,” she says. “Even though I didn’t know their language that much yet, I still liked meeting other kids and having fun with them.”
Tina has learned so much from her time with the Clubs. “Seeing people you don’t really know well, you can be nice to them,” she says. “You learn how to treat others well – and yourself.”
She still comes to the Club often, balancing it with other volunteer work, school activities, and church. She became a junior staff member at the Bellingham Club and plans to do the same at Ferndale.
Tina’s long-term goal is to work with kids, and her time at the Clubs has already helped put her successfully on that path.
In the summer, she works lunch and snack programs every day and helps run activities with the younger members.
She’s currently working hard to prepare for the upcoming Youth of the Year state competition in Seattle.
“They get to go down to Seattle for a couple days and do some fun activities, and then they’ll all give their speeches on March 25,” says Kayleigh.
“I’m really nervous,” Tina says with a laugh. “I haven’t really talked in front of people a lot. My first speech was at the Boys & Girls Club dinner and my heart was really pounding.”
But she’s up for the challenge and excited to see how it goes.
“For me, working at the administrative offices, I don’t get to see the kids and hear their stories all the time,” says Kayleigh. “So when Youth of the Year rolls around I’m always excited, because there are always amazing, moving stories.”
Watching the candidates prepare is inspirational, she continues.
“Just to see them go up there,” she says. “They speak in front of five community members we select – past board members, donors, people from different relationships within the Club – and that can be nerve-wracking; these audience members are taking notes and judging them. But they all do such a good job and even if they don’t have the most perfectly worded speech, you can still see how excited they are to be up there.”
Kayleigh says the organization sees the Youth of the Year competition as a way for kids with stories and dreams to see the path they’ve been planning for themselves as a reality; to see that they can take those hopes and dreams and turn them into a workable plan for the life they want.
“We have kids with all different kinds of dreams, goals, aspirations, and passions,” Kayleigh says. “It’s wonderful for them to see that what they want out of life is worth it and meaningful and absolutely possible.”
