NewsroomBoys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester Name Nnamdi Anuforo 2008 Youth of the YearPlease click on arrows to view more pictures below:
Mount Kisco, NY (April 3, 2008) – The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester announced today that Nnamdi Anuforo has been selected as 2008 Youth of the Year, the highest honor the Club bestows on one of its members. The national program, administered by Boys and Girls Clubs of America, recognizes exemplary character, superior leadership skills, academic achievement, outstanding service to Boys and Girls Clubs, and community outreach. This accomplishment earned Anuforo a $1,000 college scholarship from the Corporation for National Service and an additional $1,000 from The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester. Anuforo will compete against other Boys & Girls Club youth for the New York State Youth of the Year title. Five regional winners selected among state winners will compete for the national honor in Washington, D.C., where the National Youth of the Year will officially be installed by the President in a White House ceremony in September. In addition, the winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship from The Reader's Digest Association, the sponsor of the program since its inception in 1947. Elaine Cruz-Colon, Youth Program Director of the Club's Tarrytown Center, says of Anuforo, "His commitment to volunteer work is unfailing and his compassion and patience for our younger members is heartwarming. Nnamdi is a very grounded young man with strong family values." Eighteen-year-old Anuforo is a five-year Club member and senior at Sleepy Hollow High School. By age 12, he had experienced more challenges than most people do in a lifetime: troubles around an older brother, a mother separated from him 10 months a year running a restaurant in Nigeria, a father he resisted turning to for any help including money for lunch at school, and the friends he did turn to who led him to steal and other behavior resulting in detention and suspension. Then he took another friend's advice, accompanying him to the Club. He immediately discovered support and guidance from staff, activities that intrigued him, other young people who interested him, and a kitchen offering a hot supper each afternoon. Anuforo has always enjoyed himself at the Club, whether he is playing basketball, carrying out his Keystone Club responsibilities, helping younger children with homework and tutoring those needing special help with reading, or launching a new recycling program. Anuforo's time at the Club has helped him earn the Most Improved Student Award at Sleepy Hollow High School, the African American Men of Westchester's Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Youth Award in Social Action, the Club's Presidential Volunteer Service Award, Honor Roll, and a $2,000 college scholarship from the Charles Schwab Foundation. According to Sarina Choi, Anuforo's English teacher, the Club "has instilled in him a sense of responsibility and an awareness beyond himself. It has also provided him with structure and has emphasized the importance of education in his life." Nnamdi sought out enrolling in Honors English this year. He will pursue and MBA and a Ph.D on his way to becoming an entrepreneur or a CEO of a major corporation. "The Boys & Girls Club has truly changed my life for the better," says Anuforo. "Without the Club, I don't know where I would be right now. My future endeavors will be shared with my Club, and I will strive to help it advance as it has helped me." The Youth of the Year award will be presented at the Clubs' 14th annual Humanitarian Award Dinner on Saturday, June 7 at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Tarrytown, NY. The dinner will honor Laureen Barber of Pound Ridge, NY. This year's theme, "Positively Nutritious," continues the Club's programming for healthy living. The cocktail reception, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will be followed by a sit-down dinner. There will be an award presentation and dancing. Individual tickets are $350; sponsorship tables are also available. For further information regarding tickets and/or donations, contact Heidi Muhleman at (914) 666-8069. About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester Press Contacts: |
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