Recently selected as the 2012 Youth of the Year of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County (BGCM) Deidre Belinfanti, 17, of Asbury Park, NJ, is a true example of an extraordinary youth. A member of the Asbury Park Unit at BGCM, Belinfanti will receive a $1,500 scholarship and will go on to compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the New Jersey Youth of the Year title and an additional $20,000 scholarship later this spring.
Dedicated, passionate and sporting extreme courage, Belinfanti is a role model for her peers. A senior at Asbury Park High School, she has shown consistent effort in keeping her life on a positive track. Belinfanti has been a member at the BGCM Asbury Park Unit since she was 9, and has participated in a number of the Club’s programs. Notably, Belinfanti serves as vice president of the Keystone Club, a chartered small group leadership development club for young people ages 14 to 18. This year, Belinfanti was granted early admission to her dream school, Howard University, and received Howard’s Legacy Scholarship, which covers tuition and fees, and is awarded to incoming freshman who have excelled academically. Belinfanti plans on double-majoring in psychology and social work and hopes to work within the foster care system in the future.
“As the 2012 Youth of the Year for Monmouth County, I look forward to setting a positive example and representing change in my community,” Belinfanti stated.
The Youth of the Year program, which is administered by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and has been nationally sponsored by the Reader’s Digest Foundation since 1947, recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome. Tupperware Brands joined the Foundation as a co-sponsor in 2011 and became the sole supporter of the program in 2012.
“Deidre’s passion for making a change in her community and selflessly helping others is inspiring, while her commitment to her education, supporting her family, community and club is exemplary. She is a very special young lady,” said Isiah Jones, Asbury Park Unit Director, BGCM. “She is thoroughly deserving of this honor.”
If Belinfanti wins at the state level competition on May 22, 2012, she will then go on to compete for the title of Northeast Region Youth of the Year. Five regional winners will then travel to Washington, D.C., to compete for the title of BGCA’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year receives an additional $15,000 scholarship and will be installed by President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the Oval Office.
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