CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Monticello High School junior Ashley Cruz has been a part of the Boys & Girls Club at Southwood for 11 years. Now, she will represent not just the Southwood club, but the Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia as a whole, as she was named the organization’s Youth of the Year earlier this month.
“It feels great,” she told Cville Right Now. “I’m happy and I’m excited for what’s to come. I’ve gotten a lot of support, not just from the club, but from my church and from school, so it’s been great.”
Youth of the Year is a national competition held by the Boys & Girls Club each year that aims to develop leadership abilities in its members. Each club holds its own Youth of the Year competition for all members between 14-18 years old, as well as a Junior Youth of the Year competition for 11-13-year-olds. After each individual club selects its own Youth of the Year, those selected move on to compete for the title of Youth of the Year of their local organization. From there, selected club members move onto the statewide competitions, then regionals before finally reaching the national competition…