When Isabella Jimenez-Ramirez first started coming to the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos (BGCSM) at the age of 7, she was painstakingly shy. A self-described wallflower, she surprised everyone when she chose to join the Club’s flag football team in first grade, even though everyone towered at least an entire foot above her. She knew nothing about the game and didn’t consider herself much of an athlete. But that didn’t stop her from finding the courage to try something new. It’s that same resilient spirit and enduring curiosity that today has propelled Isabella to her next big moment as she vies for the title of California Youth of the Year, the highest honor in the state for a Boys & Girls Club teen.
“The Club is my home away from home. I can be here and let my imagination just go,” said Isabella, or Isa as she’s known around the Club.
“I have this daily boost of dopamine knowing that I’m coming here and it just helps me out. It’s really important to me in that way because it helps me be a better person.”
Last month, Isa’s cheering squad of mentors and lifelong friends from the Club showed up in a big way when the Mission Hills High School senior was named the San Diego County Youth of the Year. The prestigious honor means that Isa will serve as an ambassador for more than 33,000 Boys & Girls Club youth members in the San Diego region.
Isa credits the Club for helping her through her hardest struggle when the once-shy youth almost failed out of school due to an undiagnosed learning disability. Once thrust into middle school, she began to sink. Isa found herself struggling more with her schoolwork and was overwhelmed academically and emotionally.
“Academics had become dreadful; I wasn’t in the best spot in my life, but as I have grown over the years and leaned into the amazing support system of mentors at the Club, what once felt unbearable has now become my unstoppable fuel.”
Fortunately, Isa had access to an abundance of academic resources right there at the Club. Thanks to her hard work, help from her mentors at BGCSM, and resources to better support her learning style, Isa was able to finish her seventh-grade year with nearly straight A’s.
Today, the 17-year-old often spends her time after school at the Club’s Teen Center, where you might find her working on homework, chatting with friends, playing Guitar Hero, or experimenting with the various machines in the Best Buy Teen Tech Center powered by Sony.
Having been a part of a wide range of programs, Isa acknowledges that the skills she’s developed and experiences she’s had with the Club have helped her become a confident and well-rounded young adult.
Being a part of the Club has also ignited one of Isa’s true passions: serving her community.
As an active member of the Club’s Leaders-In-Training (L.I.T.) program, she has been able to make an impact both within the Club and outside of it in her San Marcos community. Isa has developed leadership skills through community service, hands-on field trips, and special workshops and projects like collaborating with community partners to conduct vaccine outreach and education efforts.
Last summer, Isa had the opportunity to work with TrueCare, a local nonprofit healthcare provider, during a paid summer internship as part of the Club’s Career Pathways program. The yearlong workforce readiness program helped her develop important workforce readiness skills like interviewing, creating a resume, networking and more.
As she looks to the future, Isa plans to spend the next year continuing to explore what she loves. With encouragement from the staff at BGCSM, Isa is forging her own path, but for the moment, has her sights set on her upcoming high school graduation and potential title of California Youth of the Year.
