When Lorena S. arrived for her first day at Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica 11 years ago, she was shy and unsure of how to use her voice. Last week, her confidence shone as she stepped on stage to win Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica’s 2026 Youth of the Year competition.
“They did not just see a student who needed help,” she said about her first days at the Club. “They saw a leader who needed a platform.”
From Participation to Advocacy
At the Club after school, Lorena found mentors who recognized her strengths and programs that let her explore them.
She honed her ability to lead in a way that felt authentic to her. “I first learned that leadership is not about being the loudest person in the room; it is about being the most committed.”
When the Club created space for kids to share their cultures, Lorena seized the opportunity. Her mom made a traditional Middle Eastern dish: grape leaves stuffed with rice and beef. Her peers loved it.
“That moment of acceptance was all thanks to the Boys & Girls Club,” she said.
As she grew up, Lorena’s leadership took on new depth. She stopped seeing challenges as problems and started seeing them as opportunities to create change.
“I realized that the things I found most frustrating, such as the lack of resources for students like me or the silence of women in my community, were not just problems to complain about. They were invitations to lead.”
She brought that unshakable confidence and inclusivity she learned at the Club into every corner of her life.
Leading in Every Room
At Santa Monica High School, Lorena recognized that many students were navigating multiple identities and cultures like she was.
Drawing on her experience creating belonging at the Club, she co-founded the Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Club. “This club became more than an extracurricular activity; it became a declaration that our culture is a source of pride,” she said.
As president of STEMsters, she led interactive science workshops for students, using creativity and mentorship to make STEM accessible and fun. As a soccer coach for the Coptic League, she shared the lessons her own coaches taught her about getting back up and trying again.
Through it all, she has carried the values her 11 years of Club membership have instilled with her: commitment, compassion, and community-building.
Standing in the Gap
“What matters to me is standing in the gap for the unseen,” Lorena wrote. “It is the belief that no one should have to navigate their identity alone or feel like a guest in their own life.”
Lorena walked into the Club with strength, and it gave her the space to grow it. Now, she is creating that same space for others—exactly the kind of ripple effect we hope for in every kid who walks through our doors. We are so proud to see her shine.
What’s Next?
Lorena will advance to the LA Basin regional competition, with the opportunity to continue progressing and compete for up to $50,000 in scholarships!
