EHS junior honored at Boys & Girls Club banquet
Douglas: Boys & Girls Club ‘became my refuge’
EL DORADO — El Dorado High School junior Bre’Ona Douglas was awarded the Youth of the Year award by the Boys & Girls Club at its annual Joe Hickman Banquet.
Douglas thanked her family, church family and God before addressing Boys & Girls Club members, alumni and community members during her candidate speech. She said that the club allowed her to grow up “as a true kid.”
“The club owes me nothing, but I owe the club everything. I started to go to the Boys & Girls Club to meet new friends and have fun. I never expected it to be my refuge,” Douglas said.
Five months after the award recipient was born, her father died and she was raised by her mother and grandmother. At 9 years old, her grandmother passed away and three years later, so did her mother, she said.
“I had my share of pain and the Boys & Girls Club has been there for me through it all. My club became my refuge. It became the place where it all made sense,” Douglas said. “As a Christian I have learned that when you’re going through a troubled time, God will send you a refuge. My refuge is the Boys & Girls Club.”
The EHS junior, who has been a member for over 10 years, said that staff members, who she affectionately calls her family, were there for her when she needed to talk and helped her grow into a better person.
“The staff showed me that in spite of losing the three most important adults in my life, there would still be adults that loved and care about me,” she said. “The club has helped me stand up for things that are crucial to me and stand up against things that may be hurtful to me.”
Club staff have long enforced anti-bullying policies that further create a safe haven for Douglas and other young members. They shared their own experiences about bullying and being bullied, which helped her put things in perspective, she said.
“Staff members would share … how if one bystander stood up for them or against them, it might have made a difference," Douglas said. Listening to their stories opened my understanding that I need to not just be a bystander, she said.
Becoming a junior staff member was her chance to transition from bystander to advocate and “help others solve their problems with their friends,” she said. After serving on the junior staff, she earned an internship at the Boys & Girls Club.
Staff members said that she is a great role model and mentor to the kids at the club. Douglas has volunteered as an arts and crafts instructor, volleyball coach and tutor.
“Over the years I have been a member of the Boys & Girls Club, I’ve been able to connect to a lot of interesting people and I have learned how to deal with difficult situations," she said. “There I learned to be a leader, what it means to live a life of service and most importantly, what it means to be a kid.”
After giving her candidate speech, the banquet’s namesake presented Douglas with a medallion and announced that she will receive thousands of dollars in scholarships thanks to the Boys & Girls Club Foundation, local Boys & Girls Club Alumni Association and other civic organizations.
Upon graduating high school, Douglas plans to study animal science at the University of Arkansas. She will go on to compete at the state Youth of the Year competition for a chance to win more scholarship money.