WILL C. WOOD FRESHMAN NAMED YOUTH OF THE YEAR
Just a few months after starting high school, Linda Hernandez is already set to have a busy 2023.
The Will C. Wood freshman was named the Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club's Youth of the Year for 2023, where she will serve as the club's ambassador for the year and be entered into the National Youth of the Year competition.
Linda's new title was announced in a ceremony Wednesday at the Opera House, where the Boys & Girls Club kick off the first major celebration of what will be the club's 20th year of operation in Vacaville. The evening not only looked back at the past but also toward the future, which will see a much larger main campus on Brown Street.
Following essay and application submissions followed by interviews, two finalists were chosen for the Vacaville Youth competition: Linda and Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy junior Alex Vales. As the final part of their bid for Youth of the Year, both gave speeches in front of the crowd at the Opera House.
Teen Supervisor John Gilmore said he met Linda last summer as part of the intern program and described her as “smily and bubbly.” She has been a part of the club for seven months.
“The reason why I started becoming here is because I needed to do something productive during summer instead of just soccer,” she said.
Since then, Linda has been part of programs such as Keystone, which she described as being like “Congress for the club,” and Upward Bound, which prepares students for college and included tours of the University of California, Merced; University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of San Francisco.
“I learned so many new things about college I didn't know about,” she said.
Linda also learned many things through the Boys & Girls Club, including “to never be afraid to be yourself, and you should always stick up for yourself… to always respect others and that you should always be patent with one another.”
“I will use my voice to help others that can't use their voice in times of need,” she said. “It's OK to stand up for yourself and not to ever be afraid.”
Linda said she would create a platform against cyberbullying, bullying, body shaming and racism.
Alex's speech talked about learning to overcome his fears in his seven years with the club and building new relationships along the way.
Additionally, 13-year-old Willis Jepson Middle School student Alexander Valencia was named Junior Youth of the Year, Stems Florist owner Caryn Mikich was named the club's Volunteer of the Year and Padan site supervisor Caitlyn Desimone was named as the club's Staff of the Year.
VNBGC Board President David Esparza also provided an update on the club's new headquarters, which will move the main campus from the Tower Center on Holly
Lane to an 8,400-squarefoot center next to the William J. Carroll Government Center. The club has already exceeded its $4.5 million goal, with a $1.4 million check presented by Assemblywoman Lori Wilson's office that evening to bring its current fundraising total to $4.7 million.
“To think where we were four years ago to say, `We're gonna raise $4.5 million' and we're at $4.7 (million) is pretty phenomenal, especially in the times that they've been difficult,” Esparza said. “That just shows the generosity of our community, of our public agencies, our corporations, they've just been tremendous.”
Esparza said the club is working with the city to finalize the plans and is anticipating a groundbreaking in the summer or fall.