LA County Youth of the Year!

Madeline Wright named LA County Youth of the Year

We are so proud to announce our Youth of the Year, Madeline Wright has been named 2019 Co- Youth of the Year of LA County! Maddie was named the San Pedro Youth of the Year in November, the BGCLAH Youth of the Year in December and then competed in the LA County YOY competition. Over 20 youth across the county competed for one of the spots in the top 6. The top 6 attended the YOY event at the ACE Hotel in Downtown LA! Maddie will represent BGCLAH and LA County in the state Youth of the Year competition in Sacrament in early April!

As a daughter of a drug addict, she grew up believing that she would follow in her father and brother’s footsteps. Around 60% of children whose parents abuse drugs also abuse drug when they’re older. This one statistic shaped Maddie’s outlook, “It was the number embedded in my brain, the number my brother has become, and the number that was destined for me. I saw 60% in my sleep, in my father’s eyes; stained on my skin was 60%. Statically speaking, I will not have a successful future” (Madeline Wright). As she faced her family’s cycle of drug abuse, she attended Al-Anon meeting for children whose parent’s abused drugs. She learned how to cope with her family struggles and began to understand why her father and brother made the choices that they did. She started expanding her outlook in life, exploring different subjects, and joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor. The Club became her second home. She made her best friends at the Club and learned about college and life.

As she became a Club kid, she started to become more and more involved in the Club, her school, and her community. Despite everything she has gone through, she continues to succeed. Madeline is the Keystone President, Junior class president, a honor student with a GPA, a member of Leaders in Training, Girl Talk, College Bound, and continues to maintain a substance free lifestyle. She will be attending the University of Chicago in the fall and hopes to become a neurosurgeon.

Mike Lansing, BGCLAH Executive Director; Madeline Wright, BGCLAH/LA County Youth of the Year; Bryan Jebo, BGCLAH Director of Operations

Madeline Wright with BGCLAH members, BGCLAH staff and BGCLAH Board of Directors at the LA County Youth of the Year Event