Youth of the Year Archive

Cristiane Melo

2022 Youth of the Year

Cristiane Melo was born in Angola, Africa. At the age of 7 she lost her mother to Lupus. In 2013 she moved to the United States. The only family that came along on the journey was her aunt and sister. In Angola, family is a big part of tradition, so coming to the United States and leaving everyone behind was very hard for them.

In 2016, she left the United States to live in Angola and moved shortly thereafter to Portugal to be closer to her grandmother. In July 2018, her aunt convinced Cristiane and her sister to return to the U.S. The constant movement between countries was taking its toll on her grades. Cristiane made a promise to her grandmother that year – that she’d become a model daughter, that would make her mother proud.

Cristiane has been making good on her promise. She will be graduating from Coral Gables High School in June 2022 with a 3.6 GPA, making the Superior Honor Roll. Since joining BGCMia in 2019, she’s become an active member in school and Club activities, holding leadership positions such as Company Commander of her JROTC unit, Vice President of HIP, Keystone and Teen Programs. As title holder of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade Youth of the Year 2022, she will now be competing at the state level for Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year in April 2022.

Along with her family, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade join in celebration of all of Cristiane’s accomplishments and successes.

Alana Maria Jefferson

2021 Youth of the Year

Alana Maria Jefferson was named Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s 2021 Youth of the Year. A panel of Club staff and administration served as the judges to select this year’s Youth of the Year.

Jefferson, a junior at Coral Gables Senior High School with a 3.2 GPA, has been a member of the Hank Kline Club since 2010. During her time at the Club, she has matured by placing her focus on her education and giving back to the community. She hopes to attend Columbia University or Howard University to pursue a career in education with a focus on the arts. Jefferson believes in promoting the arts and the importance of art education in early childhood development.

Jefferson participates in numerous extracurricular activities including writing for the school paper which she uses as a way to bring awareness to issues surrounding the arts. Jefferson also ran for 2021 class president and credits the Club with transforming her into an extroverted, confident leader. At the Club, she participates in the Teen Club and is the Keystone President. She is also part of the Teen Event Development Committee.

Fiorella Garcia

2020 Youth of the Year

Fiorella Garcia, was named Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s 2020 Youth of the Year. A panel of individuals from a diverse mix of Miami-area companies ― including Lisa Mendelson, Allison Stuart, Angela Smith, Marisa Farrell Arteaga, Monique Mosley and Luis Concepcion ― served as the judges to select this year’s Youth of the Year.

Garcia, a student at Miami Beach High School with a 3.7 GPA, has been a member of the South Beach Club since her freshman year. During her time at the Club, she has matured by placing her focus on her education and giving back to the community. She hopes to attend University of South Florida and major in psychology, to eventually give back to the community that helped raise her.

Garcia participates in numerous extracurricular activities including the National Honors Society, Psychology Club, Catholic Student Union, Keystone, Varsity Basketball and the Always Believe Foundation. At the club, she tutors and mentors youth members and helps with daily club activities.

Tatiana Hernandez

2019 Youth of the Year

Tatiana Hernandez, 17, was named Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s 2019 Youth of the Year. A panel of individuals from a diverse mix of Miami-area companies ― including Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart and his wife Allison Stuart, Pedro Pablo Zarzalejos of Llorente & Cuenca, and former Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade Youth of the Year Ahbria Marshall ― served as the judges to select this year’s Youth of the Year.

Hernandez, a senior at Miami Killian Senior High School with a 3.3 GPA, has been a member of the Kendall Club since her freshman year. During her time at the Club, she has matured by placing her focus on her education and giving back to the community. She hopes to attend an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and major in psychology, to eventually give back to the community that helped raise her.

Briana Vergara

2018 Youth of the Year

Briana Vergara, 17, was named Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s 2018 Youth of the Year. Apanel of individuals from a diverse mix of Miami-area companies: Angela Smith with the Miami Marlins, Nelson Fraga with NCL, Erica Glick with Top Golf plus Ahbria Marshall, a former Youth of the Year, served as the judges to select this year’s Youth of the Year.

Vergara has been a member of the Kendall Club since she was in kindergarten. She and 29 other teens from Florida Boys & Girls Clubs will be competing for the State Title on April 12-14 in Sarasota. Vergara is a senior at John A. Ferguson High School with a 4.9 weighted GPA who wants to attend Florida International University and become a Civil Rights Lawyer.

Francisco Pividal

2017 Youth of the Year

Francisco Pividal was named Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s 2017 Youth of the Year. A panel of six individuals — one each from a diverse mix of important Miami-area companies: Swire Properties, Enterprise Holdings, Ross Stores, Miami Marlins, NCL and Coca-Cola — plus one past Youth of the Year, served as the seven judges to select the Youth of the Year.

Pividal has been a member of the Kendall Club for the past six years. He will be representing Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade at the state level competition, April 6–8, in Orlando.

Adrian Abreu

2013 Youth of the Year

Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, is pleased to announce that 17-year-old South Miami resident Adrian Abreu has been selected as the organization’s 2013 Youth of the Year. Abreu, who is active at Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s Hank Kline Club, was selected from among many honorable nominees, including winners from the organization’s four other clubs.

Since he was 8 years old, Abreu, who is profoundly deaf, has been active at the Hank Kline Club. “The club changed my life and helped me learn many new things,” he said. “Being a part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade has made me realize that it’s OK to be different.”

Ahbria Marshall

2012 Youth of the Year

Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade Youth of the Year 18-year-old Ahbria Marshall of the Northwest Club was honored this year as our Weekend Marlins first pitch ball thrower on June 22 game. Marshall, who is in theTop 4 in Florida Youth of the Year, has been a Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade member since she was in 2nd grade. She is active in Girl Scouts, and a member of the 4-H Club.

She helped launch the Cultural Arts Program at the organization’s Northwest Club, and was active in the after school enrichment program offered at that club, which works to bring awareness of health, fitness, nutrition and the upkeep of animals and plants at the club. Marshall graduated magna cum laude from Miami Northwestern Senior High School this year, and will be attending Florida International University in Miami in the fall. Her ambition is to become a newscaster.

Luis Concepcion

2010 Youth of the Year

Luis Concepcion, 18, graduated on June 2010 from Coral Gables High School and is a Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, Hank Kline Club member since he was 7 years old. Luis was one of the four finalists at the Florida Youth of the Year State Competition in Sarasota, Florida held on April 12, 2010. For the past three years, he has been chosen as the Organizational Winner to represent the Clubs of Miami- Dade. As a finalist, Concepcion was awarded $1,000 educational scholarship sponsored by the Florida Alliance Group.

The Youth of the Year Award is the highest honor that a young man or woman can earn in the Boys & Girls Clubs Movement. The event features more than 28 youths, ages 14-18, from different Boys & Girls Clubs of Florida. Applicants are screened and judged on leadership qualities and services exhibited through: home and family, moral character, community, school, service to club, life goals, obstacles overcome, essays, poise and public speaking.

Being selected one of the finalist was a great honor. This experience was a real eye opener. It reminded me that we all face obstacles but we have to keep moving forward to reach success, said Concepcion, who is planning to attend Florida Atlantic University to study Writing and one day become a Composer.

We are honored to have a young man like Luis involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs movement. He is a true Champion and we wish him the very best.