Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana attended Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Indiana Alliance annual conference and State Youth of the Year Competition – capturing many awards.
Selected among several local outstanding youths, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana’s – Portage Club member, Sanja Kirova, was named 2019 Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana. As Youth of the Year for the organization, Sanja received a $5,000 scholarship for higher education and then traveled to our state capitol March 9 – 10 to compete for Indiana State Youth of the Year and another $5,000 college scholarship provided by Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Sanja, as a result of all her success and accomplishments was named the 2019 Indiana State Youth of the Year! As the 2019 Youth of the Year for both Indiana and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, Sanja is recognized for her perseverance, leadership skills, academics, brand, life goals, and commitment to Club and community. Her state title secured a place in Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Regional Youth of the Year competition which will take place in July.
Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Clubs member can receive. As Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and their Boys & Girls Club organization, as well as overcoming personal challenges and obstacles. Youth of the Year encourages Club members to reach their full potential by achieving academic success, leading healthy lifestyles and contributing to their communities. Youth of the Year honorees are living proof that GREAT Futures start at Boys & Girls Clubs. Sanja exemplifies a strong moral fiber which influences not only her decisions, but also the decisions of all around her. She is a great role model to everyone she encounters. Her work in encouraging youth, particularly female youth, to engage in STEM has changed the landscape for her high school peers and Portage Club members. Sanja will be attending Columbia University in New York on a full scholarship.
Additionally, former Board Member for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, Bonnie Coleman, was named Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs 2018 Board Volunteer of the Year, and was one of four Board individuals inducted into the Alliance’s Hall of Fame. Bonnie, a partner for the law firm of Hodges & Davis, is the first female inducted into Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Club’s Hall of Fame. Bonnie was recognized for her long history with the organization, and for being instrumental in the merger as well as the development of the organization’s young professionals group known as PALS. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana also received an outstanding Marketing Award for communications surrounding the 2018 merger of Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County and Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana into the new cross-county organization now named Boys & Girls Clubs of GREATER Northwest Indiana.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana has been opening doors to GREAT FUTURES for Porter and Lake County youth for 64 years! Clubs are open after school and provide great places for youth in grades K-12 to meet friends and have fun while in a safe, supervised environment. Clubs are open during holidays and in the summer. Annual membership is only $35.00. For information on membership, volunteer opportunities, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact your local Club by calling (219) 764-2582 or visiting bgcgreaternwi.org. Great Futures Start HERE.
