Douglas County Student Selected as Boys & Girls Club Youth of Year

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) is honored to announce the winner of its 2013/2014 Youth of the Year award – Nubia Livermore of Douglas County Boys & Girls Club. The prestigious award is BGCMA’s highest honor, recognizing teens from Clubs in the metro Atlanta area who work hard, invest in themselves and their communities and have their sights set on achieving a GREAT FUTURE.

On November 7, BGCMA welcomed all 20 Youth of the Year nominees and more than 800 attendees, including community leaders, supporters, staff and family, to the signature Youth of the Year awards ceremony at the Atlanta Marriot Marquis.  Attendees heard personal stories of triumph and transformation from six Youth of the Year finalists focused on how their Clubs have helped shape their lives and put them on a path toward great futures.

“We teach kids at our Clubs that, with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible,” said Missy Dugan, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. “Many of the youth we serve face pretty tough challenges on a day to day basis. When I see these kids excelling in home, at school and in their communities, I feel such a sense of pride knowing we are playing a role in their success.”

In addition to recognizing talented teens at the Clubs, BGCMA also celebrated its 75^th anniversary during the evening. Themed “75 Years of Opening Doors to Great Futures”, the event highlighted BGCMA’s rich history and gave attendees a glimpse into what Atlanta may have looked like when the first Club was formed in 1938.

As Youth of the Year, Nubia was awarded a $2,500 college scholarship. In the spring 2014, she will represent Metro Atlanta as Youth of the Year at the statewide competition.

During the event, BGCMA also awarded top honors to the following Youth of the Year candidates:

• Torreke Evans, Warren/Holyfield Boys & Girls Club, first runner-up and recipient of a $1,500 scholarship
• Jami Booker, Paulding County Boys & Girls Club, winner of the Ada Lee Community Spirit Award and recipient of a $1,500 scholarship

Meet Nubia Livermore

Growing up as a home-schooled child, Nubia always felt different than other children. She came to Douglas County Boys & Girls Club in search of friendship and community connectedness. Today, seven years later, she has blossomed as a “gentle and caring leader” with a remarkable “inner strength”.

She gives her time, energy and creativity to her fellow members and her community.  Nubia also believes in helping those in need.  Nubia takes care of her grandmother and other loved ones, volunteers at nursing homes and local children’s centers, and regularly participates in community service including feeding the poor, donating clothes and picking up trash.

Like many of her Boys & Girls Club peers, Nubia dreams big. Upon completion of her secondary education, she plans to study business management and creative writing at Hampton University in Virginia. She aspires to open her own afterschool program focused on the arts and creative writing.

BGCMA serves more than 12,000 children and teens each year. The Youth of the Year competition is part of a broader year-round program that helps at-risk youth develop character and leadership skills. BGCMA also focuses on helping youth achieve academic success and lead healthy lifestyles. By 2020, the organization is working to ensure that 90 percent of the youth it serves are graduating on time, living healthy lifestyles and giving back to their communities.

BGCMA thanks all of its corporate and individual sponsors for opening doors for our youth. To find out more about this year’s Youth of the Year event, visit www.bgcma.org/youthoftheyear2013.

For more information on how you can become involved in shaping great futures, visit www.bgcma.org/get_involved.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta’s mission is to save and change the lives of children and teens, especially those who need us most, by providing a safe, positive and engaging environment and programs that prepare and inspire them to achieve Great Futures. Through 27 Clubs in 10 metro counties, trained and professional staff serve more than 3,400 youth (ages 6-18) daily through programs that foster academic success, healthy lifestyles and character and leadership development. BGCMA also oversees Camp Kiwanis, a 160-acre outdoor residence camp, and the Youth Art Connection (YAC), a gallery and workspace for young artists. While the cost to effectively serve those who need us most is more than $4,000 per member, BGCMA asks families to pay only a $50 annual membership fee and no child is turned away due to inability to pay. For more information, please visit www.bgcma.org.