PRESS RELEASE Contact:
April 15, 2014 Ruth Provost (508) 477 8845
For Immediate Release to
ALL CAPE TOWNS
The Boys & Girls Club of Cape Cod Selects
Shy Ann Jackson as their 2014 Youth of the Year
The Boys & Girls Club of Cape Cod has announced that their 2014Youth of the Year is Mashpee High School senior Shy Ann Jackson.
Shy is joined by two semi-finalists,Kayla Burnell, a Mashpee senior, and Sarah Nasuti, a Mashpeejunior, as the leaders of the Club’s Youth of the Year program.
Every year Boys & Girls Clubs around the country select a Club Youth of the Year – a young person that best exemplifies the ideals of the Boys & Girls Club and shows excellence in several areas, including service to Club, community and family; academic success; strong moral character; life goals; and poise and public speaking ability. Finalists also write two short essays, one on what the Boys & Girls Club means to them, and another on the value of post-secondary education.
Part of the selection process to choose the Youth of Year involves an interview with a panel of judges. This year’s distinguished panel of judges included Mashpee Police Chief Rodney Collins, realtor Ann Macdonald, David Willard from Cape Cod Five Cents Bank, State Representative Brian Mannal, Mary O'Keeffe who is a Senior Manager of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Comcast, and Russ Maloney from the Mashpee Men's Club.
Shy Ann Jackson will be receivinga $1,500 college scholarship and go on to compete for the title of the MA State Youth of the Year in June. The winners of the State title from all the states in Northeast Region will then go to a competition for the title of the Northeast Region Youth of the Year in New York City, and, with any luck, from there to the title of the National Youth of the Year. Since 1947, the National Youth of the Year has been installed by the President of the United States. The two Boys & Girls Club of Cape Cod semi-finalists, Kayla Burnell and Sarah Nasuti, will each receive a $1,000 college scholarship.
This year’s scholarships will be donated by the Mashpee Men’s Club from the proceeds of their 2014 raffle, which start this month and includes some wonderful prizes. “We are so pleased to have the Mashpee Men’s Club join us as our scholarship sponsor this year,” said Ruth Provost. “They do an amazing job raising funds for our kids, so I hope that when you see them out at the local supermarket selling raffle tickets, you stop and buy a few.” Russ Maloney, the Men’s Club representative on the screening panel was enthusiastic about the finalists. “The 3 outstanding candidates we interviewed are just a sample of the great work that the Boys & Girls Club does with our youth. I was very proud to be there!”
Jim Kiley, president of the board of the Boys & Girls Club, expressed his gratitude for the time the judges gave to the process and thanked them for doing a difficult job in choosing from between these fine young adults, all of whom have significant achievements on their resumes. “We are so proud ofShy, Kayla, and Sarah. I am looking forward to Shy Ann’s keynote speech at the Boys & Girls Club’s Annual Meeting at the Coonamessett Inn on June 12! This is going to be a special meeting for us because plan to burn our mortgage, originally incurred when we completed our building in 1999, at the meeting.”
State Representative Brian Mannal spoke about the experience and the chance to interview the finalists. “The Boys and Girls Club is doing great things on Cape Cod. Each of the three finalists are impressive young women, whose lives have been transformed through their involvement with the Club. It was an honor to participate in the process of selecting the Youth of the Year, as well as a pleasant reminder of the fact that the Boys and Girls Club is truly helping to make the future brighter for teens on Cape Cod.”
Ann Macdonald noted the high level of self-esteem the candidates displayed, observing that it was obviously honed by dedicated Boys & Girls Club staff who mentoredthem and made a positive difference during their time at the Club. “Every one of them told us how they first arrived at the Club - shy, introverted, influenced by peers into making bad choices, and without any life goals.” They told the judges how the Club had turned that around, teaching them to become leaders, to give back to the community, and the difference between making good and bad choices.
David Willard, Director of Community Relations at Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank added, “It’s obvious that you and your staff are life changers for many young people at the Club.” He thought it was a great opportunity to see what a really transformational organization the Boys & Girls Club is, helping young people emerge with their own positive identities when they are given an empowering environment and support.
Chief Collins, who unfortunately gets to see the resultsfrom notproviding youth with safe harbors during the high-risk hours when parents are at work, had this to say: “The value of the Boys and Girls Club is extraordinary. It is like a boat trying to find port in the nighttime. The Boys & Girls Club provides the beacons of light and the GPS. It prevents a potential unfortunate consequence. Without such prevention, which we are all seeking, the alternative has far-reaching and trickle down consequences. The support of the Boys & Girls Club is therefore instrumental and its impact must be applauded and appreciated.”
Shy Ann Jacksonhas been an active member of the Boys & Girls Club since 2010. Shy has been a member of Keystone, the Club’s Teen Leadership Program, since its creation three years ago. She has held the position of President for two years and recently took over the role of Vice President. She has cheered for the Mashpee Falcons for all four years of high school and was awarded the position of team captain this year. She also cheered for the basketball team for four years. She is a member of Friends of Rachel (anti-bullying) and also Project Purple (anti-substance abuse). She recently helped put on the Community Wellness Fair at Mashpee High that was designed to educate the community about the growing drug epidemic on Cape Cod. She has received a variety of awards at Mashpee High School, including the Teacher’s Award, Most Class Participation Award, and recently the High Five award, which recognizes seniors for great behavior.
Shy enjoyed her woodshop class so much, that when the Secretary of Education visited, she arranged to present him with the official Secretary of Education emblem in May, carved into wood. She has also taken part in the construction of Mashpee High’s new greenhouse project and helped to write a grant as part of the Boys & Girls ClubKeystone program to build a sandbox for the younger children at the Boys & Girls Club. Shy is also a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters and a mentor to a youngster at the Boys & Girls Club.
Shy officially enlisted in the U.S. National Guard as a Chaplain Assistant this winter and plans to transition to college while maintaining her status in the Guard. She hopes to go to college for Social Work at Bridgewater State University or Westfield State University. She says that being a Chaplain Assistant with the National Guard will help her achieve her goal of working with veterans as a social worker.
At Mashpee High School, where she maintains grades of 85 or above average in all classes, seniors are required to take part in a “Senior Community Service Project.” Shy, inspired by both Project Purple and her personal life, is planning and putting on a community Substance Abuse Awareness Night on April 29 at 6 pm at the Boys & Girls Club, which will include guest speakers sharing their stories about addiction and recovery with information presented by Gosnold, SOAP, Ala-teen, Ala-Non, the Barnstable County DA and the County Sheriff’s Department, among others.
In her essay about the importance of college, Shy praised her Mom for setting a great example. “When my mother was seventeen she dropped out of high school when she became pregnant with my brother, and she never returned to school. When my brother was growing up, it was discovered that he had a learning disability and he struggled academically. Our mother helped him enormously. He graduated from Falmouth High School and swore he would never go back to school. My mother decided to finish school when my brother was in tenth grade because he wanted to drop out and she wanted to be an example for him. After earning her G.E.D., she took classes to become a Certified Nurse’s Assistant (C.N.A.) and since then, my brother has gone on to graduate from Universal Technical Institution (U.T.I) with a certification in mechanics. My mother followed her heart to study nursing, and served as an inspiration for my brother to do the same.”
“As I started my high school career everyone told me that grades mattered; I never listened... and almost stayed back as a freshman. I straightened up my act during my sophomore year and almost made honor roll. As I grew older, I started volunteering with younger kids in the community through the Club and through cheerleading, and also through my job at a daycare. I started to see how much of an impact I could have on others. I like to help others and have a positive impact on them. Going to college means that maybe I would inspire (the younger people who look up to me) to change their minds about (not going to college), like my mother inspired my brother.”
“Since having an impact on peoples’ lives and helping people are goals I set for myself, I have chosen to join the United States Army National Guard. Joining the Army will not only help me financially pay for college, but also will help me with my future studies in college. I had a qualifying grade of 55 on my ASVAB and I chose to be a Chaplain Assistant. A Chaplain Assistant is a social worker in the Military. They help the soldiers when they are feeling homesick, suicidal, scared, etc. I chose this career because I want to pursue a future as a Social Worker, especially in a V.A. working with Vets.”
“I like the way it feels when I accomplish a task. When I accomplish something big in life, I am proud of myself and push myself to try and accomplish bigger and better things. Applying to the colleges I was interested in was a great accomplishment because it was something I was very nervous about doing. I also made the decision to join the U.S. Army National Guard which was not only a big accomplishment (it took hard work to enlist), but it will also help me with my future and college expenses.”
Want to hear more about Youth of the Year program from some of the National finalists? There’s a video online to learn more about the program and its impact on kids:
In addition, the following are quotes from the teens themselves about how the Boys & Girls Club has made a difference in their lives and their thoughts on the value of post-secondary education.
The Boys & Girls Club is centrally located on the Upper Cape near the Mashpee Rotary and Mashpee Commons off of Route 151 on 31 Frank E. Hicks Drive behind the Mashpee Police & Fire Stations. For information, call 508-477 – 8845, email or visit them on the web at
Teen Quotes 2013: In Their Own Words –
What the Boys & Girls Club Means to Me
Being under the influence is not a choice that a fourteen year old should be doing, but I decided to anyways. But being in the Club for just one night changed my life for the better. I realized I did not have to do drugs or get in trouble to have fun. Being around a fun group of people with activities that were available was all I needed to notice what I was doing was a very bad choice. The Club became my drug.
..my attitude had completely turned for the better, my grades started going up, and I was staying out of trouble.
I am so thankful to have the club in my life. It has shown me who I really am and who I want to be. It has shown me what a true leader is and how to be one.
Due to the Club, I have been … a mentor. I have younger children everywhere talking about me, writing their school essays about me, and saying positive things.
My leadership skills that have grown with me have helped me realize who I want to be in life. I will continue to help people, mentor people, and be a support system for anyone and everyone.
Thanks to the club I can honestly say I am happy with the person that I am now and that I know I always will have a second family that I can lean on when my life gets rough.
I think the best part about the Boys & Girls Club is that the staff did a great job on dispersing and expanding themselves among the children. They focused a lot on the quiet children, and you could tell it wasn’t in their job description.
Every staff member made it a goal of theirs to engage every quieter kid into an activity that involved everybody, big or small. Simple acts of kindness like those go unnoticed to the general public, however, they impacted me greatly. Those simple gestures towards shy kids like myself were what helped build my confidence at the club. Before I knew it, I was engaging and interacting with everybody at the club like it was my own home.
The Boy and Girls Club was a foundation to mine and a lot of my current friend’s personalities. The plethora of activities offered at the club could connect with everybody and anybody; you just had to stick your foot into the teen room.
I remember as a kid bonding with more people at the Boys & Girls Club then I did at school; and soon enough, I spent my days looking forward to the walk from the school to the club.
If a child (like myself) doesn’t have a strong relationship with an adult at their home, they turn to the Boys and Girls Club. For personal reasons, I stayed the farthest away from my house as much as I could, and the Boys and Girls Club gave me great comfort.
The Boys and Girls Club has taught me so much more than to get my homework done before I could play with my friends. The lessons each staff member taught me (are) executed throughout my day-to-day life.
I had my first job at the Boys and Girls Club as a front-desk shadow….it felt incredible. I learned how to be organized, professional, and orderly. But most of all, I interacted with everybody on a friendly, professional level that I was experiencing for the first time.
(My) passion to work with kids partially stemmed from having an absent mother figure my whole life; however, a lot of it came from what I learned and experienced at the Boys and Girls Club.
Seeing the passion and drive in every single one of the staff members…has inspired me every day to fulfill my dream as a social worker…it has been my only goal since I was taken from my mother in the 3rd grade.
The Boys and Girls Club has been a major aspect in my life. The Boys and Girls Club gave me many opportunities to break out of my shell.
The club, was a place of opportunities, acceptance and adventures. I made friends because of the programs we were involved in that I will have for my entire life, I have found traits that I hope to carry with me throughout college and my teaching career and beyond.
A part of the Boys and Girls Club that means everything to me is the teen program. I've become more and more involved with the programs…From going to teen nights, to teen room, to helping to organize and plan special events, the teen room and teen director have helped me through some of my toughest times, and that makes the Boys and Girls Club an even better place.
Without the continuous support from every staff member throughout the years, I would not be the independent, dependent individual I am today. The Boys and Girls Club truly shaped who I am as a person, and when I successfully earn my Master’s degree in Social Work, I plan on giving back to the Boys and Girls Club community in honor of the amazing relationships and connections I made there; someway, somehow, some day.
I have grown a tighter, closer family than I ever thought possible. I have also gained many memories and friends of a lifetime.
To me the Boys and Girls Club is a safe haven for kids of all ages, and a place where anyone can go to just hang out and get there mind off of anything.
All the staff become instant friends that people can go to at any time to have conversations…great relationships with the kids .. help the kids through a lot of tough times. They become mentors to all the kids there, and they all look up to the staff to see what they want to be like.