With a big smile on her face, 17-year-old Yuriria (Yuri) Huerta, daughter of two Mexican immigrants, shared her excitement as she was named 2014 Citywide Youth of Year by the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF).
Competing against eight finalists from other clubs in the city, Yuri was chosen for her struggle of overcoming personal challenges, leadership skills, and service to the community. She received a $10,000 scholarship in recognition.
“It is pushing me towards college. I am going to be able to go to college and not worry about having to pay so much,” she said about the award. “I will be the first one (in my family) to go to college; I have two older sisters that did not attend.”
Huerta wants to study psychology, social work or education. She then would be able to follow her passion of being more involved with helping youth.
Yuri is president of the Excelsior Keystone Club, a youth leadership group that promotes diverse projects to benefit the community. She also volunteers as peer leader, supporting other senior classmates in her high school, with tasks like college applications.
“When I found the Boys and Girls Club, I felt I had a space where I could actually sit down, and not be distracted,” said Huerta as she talks about how the club enabled her to do her homework. homework.
Huerta studies at June Jordan, a public school with just around 200 students located in the Excelsior District of San Francisco. The school is different from others, explained Yuri, because it is based around social justice and has helped her to become an independent thinker.
“I got to learn things in society, patriarchy, women’s rights (and) different movements that have happened,” said Huerta. At BGCSF, Huerta also volunteers as a tutor for other children and serves on the club’s Student Advisory Committee.
BGCSF provides after school, holiday and summer programs and services for youth from ages 6-18. Currently, it has more than 6,300 active members, and serves around 1,200 youth per day at nine clubhouses — Columbia Park in the Mission, Ernest Ingold in th Upper Haight, Willie Mays Clubhouse at Hunters Point as well as clubs in the Excelsior, Sunnydale, Tenderloin, Treasure Island, and Visitacion Valley.
To find out more about the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, go to www.kidsclub.org or call (415) 445-5437.