Charlotte Boys & Girls Club Member Wins NC State Youth of the Year

Tatiana Aguilar, The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte’s 2016-17 Youth of the Year, has won the Boys & Girls Clubs’ state Youth of the Year competition. The competition, featuring highly qualified students from across North Carolina, was held in Durham. Tatiana won a $5,000 scholarship and will go on to compete in the Southeast regional competition in June in Atlanta.

“Tatiana is a bright light in our community,” said Marty Clary, executive director of The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte. “This recognition is well deserved, as Tatiana represents what the Boys & Girls Clubs are all about. She excels in the classroom, is a natural born leader and always leaves others better than she found them.”

As a junior International Baccalaureate student at Myers Park High School, Tatiana has maintained a cumulative weighted GPA of 4.56, and she is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. At the Boys & Girls Club in Charlotte, she’s a leader, serving as a junior staff member and teaching a Latin dance class for younger members. In past years, she has worked as a tutor for younger members and helped plan a Health Fair for Club members and their families. Tatiana plans to pursue a career in neurobiology.

“I have truly witnessed the impact of the Club in my life,” said Tatiana. “I only have God, my family and this organization to thank for challenging me and shaping me into the confident person that I was not three years ago. I was so honored to be selected as the state Youth of the Year and represent Charlotte and the Marsh Road Club. The Boys and Girls Club has allowed me to do the impossible. I never would’ve imagined being where I am today.”

For more than 80 years, The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte have been serving at-risk youth in the community, creating a positive environment to help children excel in school and succeed in life.