Talisha

“Dad, how come Mom does not want to be around for me and my brother?”

Growing up in a single parent household, this is a question that Talisha would ask her father often. Her father did the best he could, but the absence of her mother created a void she believed could not be filled.

This was until she discovered the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson as a freshman at Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy.

At the Club, Talisha thrives with the mentorship of positive female role models, who she says “help me find my voice. Staff encourage me to express myself through music and writing. They give me the confidence to dream for my future.”

Now in her junior year, Talisha participates in many Club programs including Girl Code which prepares young women for STEM careers and Keystone, a leadership and community service program. She also is on the Varsity Volleyball team and is captain of the Cheerleading squad. Talisha plans to attend Howard University to pursue a career in public relations.

About Youth of the Year:
Youth of the Year is a national Boys & Girls Clubs of America initiative that fosters the next generation of leaders through a comprehensive leadership development program.

At the local Club level, our Club’s three high school sites (Carson High School, King/Drew Medical Magnet High School of Medicine and Science and Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy) participate in Youth of the Year through a formal application process including essays and letters of recommendation, Toastmasters public speaking training, community service projects and more.

The program culminates with a Youth of the Year evening of celebration, where Talisha was selected as our Club’s 2018 Youth of the Year! Volunteer to mentor young people like Talisha by becoming a Club volunteer.