My Club Life" By Melody Kondor

Teen Voice: "My Club Life" By Melody Kondor, Club AC

Boys & Girls Club have fun activities for me to participate in on my first day there, but over time, I had the chance to do far more. This past summer, I was given the opportunity to go to Camp Mendocino as a part of the Boys & Girls Club. At first, I wasn't sure if I should go because I wanted to prepare for my first year of high school and I didn't know if I was going to have any fun, but in the end I realized what an experience it was. While I was at camp, I made numerous friends that I still talk to today, and I got the chance to participate in a variety of new activities. I got to go swimming in a lake, zipline, climb rock walls, make s'mores around a campfire, and so much more. The amount of spirit and pure happiness that everyone demonstrated at camp was literally indescribable. The counselors at camp had so much energy and they built my confidence up significantly over the time I was there. At the end of my week, I was able to win the music award and earn my green sea, an award for my leadership, growth, and open positivity towards other campers. The counselors even pointed out that when I first arrived at camp, I was a shy, timid girl that was scared to even talk to them, but at the end of the week, I knew everyone's name and was shouting out cheers during community time.

My most impactful day at Boys & Girls Club was when I watched everyone put together the winter showcase in fourth grade, because it was the first time I felt pride and

included thanks to such a welcoming community. I loved watching the kindergarteners sing and watching my friends dance and perform skits. The staff made it hilarious when they went around singing "A Partridge in a Pear Tree" with a ton of props. Afterwards, we had a potluck with food brought from everyone's families. The best way for me to describe this experience is to say that it felt like being with family. Everyone talks about having "core memories" in their life, and if I had to choose a memory, the day of that winter showcase is at the forefront of my mind.

Boys & Girls Club has helped me build my leadership skills and has provided me with the advice and knowledge I need to progress in life. In elementary and middle school, I joined the smart girls program, which has taught me about women's history and health. In eighth grade, I became a part of the junior staff, a position that gave me more responsibility and taught me how to manage my time. I remember having staff that challenged me to read books that were higher than my lexile level and at one point, I was given lessons on resume building. All of these smaller aspects of my Boys & Girls Club experience have helped me grow and positively impacted my future. While the Boys & Girls Club has definitely had an upstanding impact on me, nothing I've accomplished today as a part of BGC could have been done without the support and assistance of its staff. One staff in particular has had an astounding impact on me, and he's a prime example of the importance of having encouraging and understanding adults in an adolescent's life. When covid hit a few years ago, a select amount of kids still attended Boys & Girls Club while doing online school, and I was one of them. At this time, we were all afraid of getting sick, or unsure how we were going to manage going to school over zoom. However, a staff named Jacob was in charge of managing the middle schoolers and he was empathetic of our situation. He made it his goal to take our unfortunate situation and turn it into something better. Everyday, he planned new activities for our group to try out. He took everyone's interests into consideration, and talked to us when he could so everyone felt included. Many others were unfortunately forced to stay cooped up at home, but we got to go outside everyday and play group games. He kept our creativity and social skills alive. He showed me what a good leader looks like and inspired me to be the same way.

As of now, I come to the Boys & Girls Club as a highschooler to give back. The Club and its staff has given me numerous opportunities and it's become a constant in my life I can depend on. I've met both of my best friends at Boys & Girls Club, and my memories are irreplaceable. Over the span of seven years, I've seen many staff come and go, but they all teach me something new, and leave a positive impact on the place. The club has improved my confidence, leadership skills, knowledge, but most importantly, my life.