Tylik has been a member of our Asbury Park Unit since he was 5 years old. Last year, he enrolled in our teen employment and empowerment program, Project L.E.A.D., and transitioned from Club member to staff member. This spring, he was awarded the title of “Youth of the Year,” the Club’s premier leadership and recognition program for teens. The following is an excerpt from the essay he submitted as part of that competition.
If I were to summarize my Club experience in a few words, I would choose “life changing.” I joined the Boys & Girls Club when I was just 5 years old, after my grandmother gave me the option of either joining a program at the Salvation Army or joining the Boys & Girls Club. On my first day at the Club, I scanned in and went into the games room where I started to play pool. I vividly remember the first staff member who I had an interaction with, which was Ms. Destiny. Ms. Destiny walked up to me, introduced herself, and immediately started to show me the correct way to play pool. Little did I know that this first interaction would lead to a plethora of experiences and open a world of possibilities for me and my future.
By the time I turned 8 years old, I was fully immersed in the Club, participating in programs, building supportive relationships with caring adults, experiencing fun on a different level, all while laying the foundation for my future. Passport to Manhood was one of the first programs I joined, and it is the program that helped shape me into the young man that I am today. The lessons about self-esteem, personal values, and academic success as they relate to manhood really shifted my way of thinking.
The lessons about self-esteem, personal values, and academic success as they relate to manhood really shifted my way of thinking.
At 13, I knew the Club was playing an important role in my development. I was learning new skills, being provided with opportunities, building relationships while having fun, and I knew this was something that I wanted to keep experiencing throughout my high school career but I didn’t know how. That was until I learned about Project L.E.A.D., a workforce development program specifically designed for high school teens. Project L.E.A.D. was hiring teens directly from within the Club, as well as from the broader community, to be a part of this amazing program. The moment I heard about this program I knew that this was something that I had to be a part of, so I talked to Mr. Danny and Ms. Destiny. Going into my freshman year of high school, I attended the resume and interview skills workshop that the Club hosts once a year, and after displaying a willingness to learn I was offered a position in the L.E.A.D. program.
The transition from being a Club member to a staff member was challenging at first. I found myself having a hard time doing things like asking members to follow the rules and participate in programs. Likewise, the members were initially reluctant to listen to me or even view me as a staff member. This was a hurdle that I was determined to overcome, and with the support of other L.E.A.D. staff and adult staff, I did just that. The staff were just as supportive of me as a colleague as they were when I was a Club member, and that’s when it hit me again that the Boys & Girls Club was home to me!
The staff were just as supportive of me as a colleague as they were when I was a Club member, and that’s when it hit me again that the Boys & Girls Club was home to me!
I am grateful for everything that the Club has instilled in me over the years. I am a leader in my Club as well as my community, and I attribute that to the leadership skills that I’ve been able to develop as a result of my Club. My goal now is to be the same staff member that Ms. Destiny was for me and to inspire both our young members and teen members to be our next generation of leaders. I am smarter, stronger, more mature, compassionate, and better prepared for my future thanks to my Club!
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