Growing up in a Lake City neighborhood where her opportunities felt limited, one young girl felt like a castaway. Genesis Majors wanted more but didn’t know if it was even possible. Middle school and mean girls pressured her into a corner. She felt small and lost.
Then, she stepped inside the Boys & Girls Club.
Her speech impediment didn’t matter. She felt seen and heard. She made friends, and Club staff empowered her to build her self-esteem.
“The Boys & Girls Club helped me find my voice,” Genesis says.
Miss Megan took her under her wing and taught her to fly on her own. Genesis learned about resilience and self-worth. Club staff worked with her to understand the academic material to catch up in her schoolwork and gave her confidence to believe in her abilities.
Staff listened to her struggles every day after school and gave her the encouragement and guidance she needed to change her mindset from victim to victor.
“The Club gave me the tools to change my life,” Genesis says. At the club, she worked alongside two college graduates who helped her navigate the application process and search for scholarships.
Now a senior at J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts & Science Magnet School, she plays softball and helps care for students as Lake City High School’s athletic trainer assistant.
“The Club helped me believe in myself, work hard, and chase my dreams. It gave me a sense of belonging and community that I had been missing,” she says. “Most importantly, it helped me see that I have the power to create the future I want.”
Genesis has won Youth of the Year two years in a row for the Lake City Club and for the Pee Dee Area. She plans to continue her education at Francis Marion University to become an athletic trainer.
Today, Genesis will take her first flight to Atlanta for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Southeast Regional Youth of the Year Event. You can follow her adventure on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter #bgcpeedee #FlyGenesis.
You can help make more kids feel seen and heard like Genesis at https://bit.ly/4kAwkWR.
What is Youth of the Year?
For 75 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Youth of the Year program has honored and celebrated the nation’s most inspiring teens – recognizing their commitment to outstanding leadership, service, and excellence.
Each year, one exceptional Club member is selected to be the National Youth of the Year, serving as an ambassador for Boys & Girls Club youth as well as a voice for all our nation’s young people. These individuals have exemplified the Boys & Girls Club mission and are proof to the impact Clubs make in transforming and saving kids’ lives. National Youth of the Year winners have achieved success in a variety of industries, including entertainment, politics, business, and sports.
Becoming National Youth of the Year is an exciting and inspiring journey. Each year, thousands of Club teens participate in local, state, and regional Youth of the Year events. Six teens, including five regional winners and a national military youth winner, advance to the National Youth of the Year Celebration, where one outstanding young person is named Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s national teen spokesperson.
The National Youth of the Year is a role model, leader and advocate for the millions of youth served by Boys & Girls Clubs each year, and all of America's young people. As the teen spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Youth of the Year get the opportunity to meet the President of the United States. So far, Youth of the Year have met 13 U.S. Presidents.
Other Clubs Youth of the Year
In March, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area recognized Kimora Hines Fryson representing the Florence Boys & Girls Club, Aiden Green representing the Hartsville Boys & Girls Club, Taylor Lewis representing The Rick & Susan Goings Boys & Girls Club in Hemingway, Paisley Bell representing the Pamplico Boys & Girls Club, and Kyrielle Flynn representing the Timmonsville Boys & Girls Club.
