Malibu High Senior Wins $2,000 Scholarship From Boys & Girls Club

MALIBU, CA — Francis M. knows she wants to go to college. The 17-year-old Malibu High School senior wants to study the culinary arts and computer science — but continuing her education will be a financial challenge.

The $2,000 scholarship she just won from the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu offers her hope she might be able to make it happen, she said.

The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, which called Francis an "exemplary student," awarded her the scholarship and named her a Youth of the Year for her leadership in the Malibu community.

She now advances as a candidate for the county, state, regional and national titles — which come with scholarships up to $50,000. President Joe Biden will install the national Youth of the Year winner, who is named in October, the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu said in a news release.

Patch agreed not to disclose Francis M.'s full name at the request of and under the privacy guidelines of the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu.

"I thought I was in a dream when they told me, 'Francis, you're the Youth of the Year.' I felt proud of myself, and at that moment I cried because I was so happy," Francis said.

The club awarded smaller scholarships to three other Malibu high school students for their Malibu-based community service.

Judges considered academic success, service to the club, public speaking, life goals, moral character and other criteria when selecting the Malibu Youth of the Year, the club said. This year's panel of judges included representatives from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Pepperdine University and Santa Barbara County.

Francis was recognized for her leadership at school and with the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu. Francis has taken advantage of leadership and career development programs and has served as an intern with the organization, according to the club. Francis "is known for her infectious positivity and welcoming nature," the club said.

Francis immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua in 2019. Her determination to learn English was an inspiration to her peers, the club said.

The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu helped Francis feel comfortable in the United States. Mentors such as Siugen Constanza, program manager for the club, helped Francis feel like she could be successful in the United States, she said.

The club helped Francis learn English and offered her access to tutoring, therapy and other resources, she said. During the pandemic, Francis came to club when she couldn't physically go to school to get consistent access to the internet and tutoring, she said. Francis said she has felt supported by the club, which has motivated her to volunteer her time.

"My transition from Nicaragua to this country was a very difficult experience; the language, the country, the people, everything was so different from my country. I felt so strange," Francis said. She added: "The club is like my second home, and the staff are like my second family."

Motivated by her grandmother's and parents' experiences, Francis wants to study either computer science or the culinary arts in college. Her interest in computer science stems from a desire to make communication easier for nonnative English speakers. On the other hand, Francis fell in love with cooking after her grandmother taught her "the secrets of cooking" and has dreamed of opening a restaurant, she said.

"Since I arrived in this country I have seen the difficulties that my parents have when it comes to communicating, getting a job or knowing more about the laws of this country. My desire is to know how to create programs and web pages that help people who do not speak English," Francis said.

She added: "I have the dream of being able to help my community, since it is frustrating not to understand a language; that part I understand very well."