Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias Announces their 2020 Youth of the Year Winner

Jose Urtiz and Clarence Clavite proudly hold up their Youth of the Year certificates.

VISALIA, CA, Feb. 17th, 2020 -- On February 5th, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias (BGCS) held their annual Youth of the Year local competition at their Visalia Club. Youth of the Year is a national competition held by Boys & Girls Clubs of America that helps prepare young people for adulthood through the development of leadership skills. BGCS would like to announce that Clarence Clavite, a Visalia Club member, has earned the title of Youth of the Year and will be moving onto the state regional level.

Clarence Clavite, BGCS' 2020 Youth of the Year winner, poses for a picture with his mother.

The National Youth of the Year competition is just one of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s many programs targeted at fostering good character and strong leadership in their members. Youth of the Year in itself is a comprehensive program that consists of three separate programs: Youth of the Month, Junior Youth of the Year, and National Youth of the Year. Each program is geared toward the development of members’ leadership skills at different stages of their Club experience.

In order to participate in this national competition, members must first be nominated by their Unit Director. Then, they must turn in a lengthy application, a letter of recommendation, multiple essays, transcripts, and complete several interviews. After a candidate wins at the local level, they then compete at the state regional level, state level, U.S. regional level, then finally the national level which is held in Washington D.C. There, six winners are taken to meet the President in the Oval Office. They then attend the annual Gala & Celebration Dinner, where one teen is named the National Youth of the Year. The national winner is awarded a scholarship and is recognized as a leader and advocate for all the Boys & Girls Clubs.

This year, BGCS had two finalists at the local level: Jose Urtiz, a freshman from the Farmersville Club, and Clarence Clavite, a senior from the Visalia Club. Both finalists are very active at their school and at the Club. Clarence is a part of the Visalia Club’s Junior Staff and Keystone programs. He also runs a program called “Teen Talks” that encourages communication among Club teens. Jose Urtiz is an avid athlete, participating in basketball and volleyball both at school and at the Club. Jose was also recognized for his writing in 2019, when he was named a winner of the Ford Driving Dreams Essay contest.

Jose Urtiz with his family after the local competition.

Regardless of their busy schedules, Jose & Clarence put in a lot of time and effort in order to compete for Youth of the Year. They worked closely with their mentors in order to rehearse and revise their speeches. These speeches are extremely personal, as candidates often share many of the obstacles they have overcome as well as their most intimate hopes and lifelong dreams. This speech is performed by the candidates at every level of the competition along with one-on-one interviews with judges.

At the local level, the two 10-minute interviews were conducted by board members Carlos Aleman and Ron Smith, who would ultimately choose the winner. After the interviews, both members performed their speeches. The families and mentors of the contestants were in the audience showing their full support. Needless to say, it was a very emotional moment for everyone in attendance. After delivering his speech, Clarence said, “It is really nerve-wracking. But I wouldn’t mind if he won, and I don’t think he’d mind if I won.”

After much deliberation, Carlos Aleman and Ron Smith named Clarence the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias’ 2020 Youth of the Year winner. Clarence was awarded a $1,500 scholarship and a $500 gift card. He will be moving onto the state regional competition which will be held on March 13th. Jose was also recognized for his accomplishments with a $500 scholarship and a $350 gift card. Jose thanked his Club mentors for their continuous support. He said, “Luli and Kathy gave me motivation and they helped me through the process. I couldn’t have done it without their help.”

(Left to right) Carlos Aleman, Lourdes (Luli) Campos, Jose Urtiz, Carri Chambers, Clarence Clavite, Andy Hernandez, Renee Brisson, Ron Smith, Cynthia Montano, and Christian Cervantes gather for a group photo.

BGCS would like to thank Rosie Hernandez Rincon, EdD, a BGCS alumni and former Youth of the Year winner, who donated to the Youth of the Year scholarship. To stay updated on Clarence’s Youth of the Year journey, follow BGCS on Facebook and Instagram @BGCSequoias. Additionally, you can find more information on Club memberships at bgcsequoias.org/ourclubs.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias is focused on helping all young people, especially those who need us most, become responsible, caring and productive members of society. Boys & Girls Clubs were established in Tulare County in the 1990’s when Exeter and Visalia community leaders responded to the need for a positive place for local youth to spend free time after school. Today, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias serves 1,000 kids per day at 14 clubs throughout Tulare County. Clubs provide a wide span of activities for local youth, varying from STEM to sports. www.bgcsequoias.org

For More Information

Please contact: Carri Chambers | (559) 592–4074 | carri.chambers@bgcsequoias.org

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