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.