PRESENTS
Luncheon & Announcement April 4, 2022 • 11:30 a.m. Arizona State Capitol 1700 W. Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85007
Thank You For Joining Us Thank you for joining us at the 2022 Arizona State Youth of the Year Luncheon. All of our Youth of the Year candidates have worked very hard to get to this point, and we congratulate them on their achievements. It is an honor for them to represent their club at the state level. Their stories and aspirations show us that the future of Arizona is in great hands. To family, friends and staff members, we hope you enjoy this time celebrating your candidates. The impact of our Clubs is evident and on full display today. Boys & Girls Clubs provides a safe place for teens to find support and become resilient while learning the skills needed to be successful. The Youth of the Year program teaches teens how to turn dreams into realities. It also provides teens with a platform to advocate for their passions. The future looks bright. These are the leaders of the future. Congratulations and best wishes!
2022 Arizona State Youth of the Year Planning Committee
Master of Ceremonies “I wouldn’t be able to go to college or be where I am right now without the Boys & Girls Clubs.”
In February 2021, Vakentae Cooks earned the title of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley Youth of the Year. Later that year, he went on to become the 2021 Arizona State Youth of the Year. Since then, he graduated from Central High School in Phoenix and began his freshman year of college at Prescott College. Vakentae is studying to be a secondary education English teacher with a minor in psychology. He plans to earn his master’s degree so he can work with youth in foster care and at Boys & Girls Clubs.
Luncheon Program 11:30 A.M. WELCOME
Vakentae Cooks
2021 Arizona State Youth of the Year LUNCH
12:00 P.M.
ARIZONA ALLIANCE
Cheyenne Walsh
President, Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs PRESENTING SPONSOR
Kristina Chumpol
Community Relations Director Fiesta Bowl Charities
12:15 P.M.
2022 ARIZONA STATE MILITARY YOUTH OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED 2022 ARIZONA STATE YOUTH OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED
12:30 P.M. CLOSING
Arizona State Youth of the Year Luncheon
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Every day 214,043 kids in Arizona leave school with nowhere to go. Boys & Girls Clubs fill the gap between school and home. We provide positive environments in which kids and teens have fun, participate in life-changing programs and experiences, and build supportive relationships with peers and caring adults.
2022 | Youth of the Yea
Evie C. (
Military Candidate)
Davis-Monthan AFB Youth Program Evie is a sophomore at Catalina Foothills High School and has been a Club member for 3 years. Evie says the Boys & Girls Club has helped her come out of her shell and become more comfortable with other people. As a member of Torch Club and Keystone, she has learned more about her community through volunteer projects.
www. azabgc.org 4
Evie is exploring careers in music and botany with hopes of attending the University of Florida after graduation.
Arizona State Youth of the Year Luncheon
ar Candidates
Zander G.
Anna V.
Zander is senior at Mohave High School and has been a Club member for 2 years.
Anna has been a member at the Komatke Clubhouse since age 5 and is currently a Junior at Betty H. Fairfax High School in Laveen.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Colorado River
Zander credits his time there with helping him make friendships and break out of his shell. He is ecstatic to be nominated for Youth of the Year and appreciates the consideration. After graduating this May, Zander plans to attend Northern Arizona University and major in mechanical engineering.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gila River Indian Community
She maintains a 3.6 GPA and is the Vice President of the Future Educators Club and Vice President of the Diverse K-Pop Club. She credits her Clubhouse with giving her the passion to help and heal youth, as she aspires to attend college and medical school to become a pediatrician.
Arizona State Youth of the Year Luncheon
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2022 | Youth of the Year Candidates
Sydney F.
Davonte M.
Sydney is a sophomore at Desert Mountain High School and has been a Club member for 9 years.
Davonte is a senior at Buena High School and has been a Club member for 4 years.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale
She says the Club has given her a voice, opportunities for leadership, and friends that have shaped who she is today. After graduating high school, Sydney plans to pursue her career goal of becoming an attorney. Sydney says the Club is her greatest supporter and brings out the best in her.
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Sierra Vista
He says Club programming has helped him become a strong leader and for providing opportunities for him to help others. Davonte maintains a 3.4 GPA and plans to join the United States Military after graduation. Davonte says because of the Club, he has achieved things he never thought possible.
Arizona State Youth of the Year Luncheon
Mariah A.
Bailey M.
Mariah is senior Class President at Tucson International Academy, where she maintains a 3.7 GPA.
Bailey is a senior at Agua Fria High School and has been a Club member at the Bob Bove Boys & Girls Club for 6 years.
Mariah says that her first job at the Club prepared her to take a leadership role in school. She has been a member of the Steve Daru Clubhouse for the past 8 years.
Bailey says he couldn’t imagine life without the Club. The programs and activities have helped him to grow as an individual. He says he leaves the Club each day a better person.
Mariah dreams of going to the University of Arizona and majoring in criminology.
Bailey plans to attend Arizona State University to study computer science.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
Arizona State Youth of the Year Luncheon
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The 2022 Youth of the Year Judges Michelle Pabis
Brittany Fuentes
Kaitlin Harrier
Tom Boyle
VP Government & Community Affairs, Honor Health Sr. Education Policy Advisor, State of Arizona
National Manager, Customer Care, Toyota Partner at tHALMA LLC
Alex Nash
Communications & Social Media Manager, Fiesta Bowl
The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs Boys & Girls Clubs have proudly served Arizona youth for more than 70 years. The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs was formed in 2000 to increase the Club’s visibility in communities and to advocate for Arizona’s most vulnerable youth.
Board Members Cheyenne Walsh
President Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
Tom Robertson
James Bryce
Secretary Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gila Valley
Treasurer Boys & Girls Club of Tucson
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Arizona State Youth of the Year Luncheon
Arizona Alliance Members Autumn Boyle-Robinson
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Colorado River
Karen Cabanillas
Mick Ruiz
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gila Valley
Nicole Kennedy
Boys & Girls Clubs of Aha Macav
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona
Mark Cobb
Karin Akins Malbrough
Annette Flores
Tara Wagner
Luke AFB Youth Program
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson
Boys & Girls Clubs of Bisbee
Davis-Monthan AFB Youth Program
Jay Hamwright
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sierra Vista
Ivan Gilreath
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale
Sundeigh Walker
Boys & Girls Clubs of White Mountain Apache
Vicki Barden
Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County
Mark Cox
Boys & Girls Clubs of Flagstaff
Pat Carson
Matthew Lemberg
MCAS Yuma
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sun Corridor
Melissa Anderson
Yuma Proving Ground CYSS
Marcia Mintz
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
Sarah Meacham
Boys & Girls Clubs of Round Valley
www. azabgc.org