Lodi teen awarded prestigious state honor

LODI, N.J. (PIX11) -- When Alex, a 16-year-old student at Lodi High School, first walked through the doors of the Lodi Boys & Girls Club three years ago, she was a different person.

“I was definitely much more shy,” said Alex. “I didn’t know how to communicate well or how to present myself well.”

Today, she is a confident and articulate young woman, recently named the 2024 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey. The organization has been awarding the honor for the last 77 years.

“It’s almost like applying to college,” explained Susan Haspel, the state director of Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey.

Haspel said teens must submit multiple essays and recommendation letters before potentially advancing to the state competition, where the stakes are higher.

“They go to a full day of judging, where they sit in front of a judging panel and they’re asked a series of questions and they have to recite a speech from memory that is three minutes long,” said Haspel.

Alex impressed the judges with her 4.5 GPA, more than 3,000 hours of community service, and a food and clothing drive she organized herself. She is also a member of the varsity basketball team and plays tenor saxophone in four different school bands. She beat out 15 other New Jersey teens to win the state title, and she hopes to one day become a social worker.

“I can work with children and really impact their lives and be that voice that I didn’t have when I was younger,” said Alex. “I’m much more confident because of Youth for the Year, and I’m just thankful for all the opportunities I’ve received because of the club.”

The "Youth of the Year" title also comes with a $12,500 scholarship, which will be awarded to Alex upon high school graduation. She plans to use it to pursue a college degree in social work.