Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula's Youth of the Year Semi-Final

At the second of two Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP) semi-final events to determine a Youth of the Year candidate, Oxford Day Academy student Anderson Ortiz was selected as the representative from the East Palo Alto Clubhouse, the evening of January 18, 2024.

All six candidates for the award spoke movingly, addressing five esteemed selection panelists, plus hundreds of friends and family in attendance. Ortiz's speech led with his proclamation that he has become "a product of two cultures" since his 2019 arrival from El Salvador.

He spoke in Spanish directly to his father from the stage and then resumed in English, explaining some of the difficulty he experienced trying to communicate during his early days in the U.S. until finding a community at BGCP. He now coaches younger club kids in soccer and has gained admission to San Diego State University, where he will study kinesiology.

Other candidates included:

• Talaya Burns of Menlo-Atherton High School, who spoke of racism she had experienced before moving to the Peninsula and how BGCP helped her turn around her academic performance and serve as a better example for her younger siblings.
• Danae Ochoa Calvillo of East Palo Alto Academy, who told her story of seeking political asylum in the U.S., working to become a league Most Valuable Player in volleyball, and overcoming feelings of isolation due to language barriers before marveling, "Now I'm giving a speech in English!"
• Celena Birrueta Contreras of Carlmont High School, who fought tears on the stage as she recalled her family's immigration, her confused identity while struggling to assimilate until she realized, "loving my culture is loving myself," and the way Site Director Lena Potts convinced her to work at the club's front desk.
• Nathanael Romero Soto of East Palo Alto Academy, who credited BGCP for helping him "turn a 180" in terms of improved academic performance, enough to gain admission to CSU Monterey Bay, where he will use his "blueprint" for success to pursue an architecture degree.
• Azaria James of East Palo Academy, whose speech about three key moments in her life started, "There's a saying that bad luck comes in threes, but as a triplet, I disagree," and then explored her experiences overcoming racism, dyslexia, and bullying to the point where she was "up here representing the people and places who helped me express myself."

Additional features of the event included:

• Presentations from selection panelists Nik Ajagu, Kelly Bavor, East Palo Alto Mayor Antonio Lopez, James Slavet, and Aaliya Yaqub.
• Insights from BGCP CEO Jenny Obiaya about the importance of the event and the impact felt -- and exerted by -- the Youth of the Year candidates.
• A rich playlist that bookended the scheduled programming, a rousing high-five line welcome for the panelists and candidates, and a solo dance performance during the selection panelist deliberations.
• A confetti canon cascade for Anderson Ortiz, the newly named Youth of the Year semi-finalist.