Ernie Montano, a community leader and inspirational member of the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos who has spent over 400 volunteer hours serving his community, has been named 2022 San Diego County Youth of the Year.
When he heard his name announced as Youth of the Year for San Diego County, Ernie recalled “I felt super excited.” Ernie, 17, who has been a part of the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos for over 11 years and was selected to represent the organization as Youth of the Year last September, was named the San Diego County Youth of the Year on March 8th and will go on to represent San Diego County in the California Youth of the Year competition in April.
Ernie first joined the Club in 2011 after his family moved to San Marcos from Salinas. His mother turned to the organization’s after school program to provide “the safe place she had been searching for,” to help her children “with homework and to keep us off the streets,” Ernie said. Now 17 years old and a senior at Mission Hills High School, he has gone on to become a role model for his peers and
younger members as part of the Leaders in Training (LIT) program and was even the first Club member to be offered a paid summer internship as a Jr. Staff member.
Armando Lara, Director of Teen Services at the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos, praised Ernie for his time as a Jr. Staff member saying he “worked with kinder and first grade youth to provide impactful summer programming to combat learning loss. He instantly became a favorite of our elementary school members and was a huge support for our summer staff.”
As a role model Club member, Ernie continually sought out opportunities to serve those within his local community and beyond. “My passion for wanting to give back was fulfilled three summers ago when I went on a service-learning trip to Hawaii with other LIT groups,” said Ernie. In recognition of his dedication to service, Ernie was chosen to join members from several Boys & Girls Clubs across California to help renovate a fellow Boys & Girls Club’s outside playground area. Throughout his time as an LIT member, he has also served over 400 volunteer hours serving meals and creating care packages for people experiencing homelessness in his local community, as well as humanitarian & fundraising efforts for those affected by natural disasters.
03/23/2022
Photos of Ernie Montano
Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos
1 Positive Place,
San Marcos, CA 92069
www.boysgirlsclubsm.org
Ernie hopes to use his platform as San Diego County Youth of the Year to advocate for a change in gender stigmas and societal norms that can negatively impact young adults and limit them from expressing themselves. He explained how the Boys & Girls Club has created an environment where “they care about you regardless of your identity and preference—” and this constant feedback gave him a push to truly be himself. A message Ernie hopes to pass along during his time as Youth of the Year is to not feel pressured by societal norms, explaining, “My hope for myself, as I continue to grow and take on new challenges, is that I can support others who may be struggling with the same fears, apprehensions, and labels that I once knew. I am grateful for my strong community of support and hope to be a part of other young people’s communities as they pursue their personal journeys.”
In the future, Ernie has his sights set on attending Palomar College next fall, transferring to a UC University and continuing his efforts of helping others through a career in dentistry. Having also been named as Jr. Youth of the Year as a middle schooler, Ernie looks back at his experiences describing the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos as a “great place for my siblings and I. Knowing that I am
he continued “It is like a second home and family to us.”
About Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos
Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos (BGCSM) is a nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is it inspire and enable all young people to become productive, responsible and caring citizens. The organization, which first opened its doors in 1979 at Woodland Park, serves youth ages 6 to 18 at its standalone branch and 12 extension sites at school campuses and affordable housing communities throughout San Marcos and neighboring communities. BGCSM offers youth programs, developed and run by trained youth development professionals that emphasize three priority outcome areas: academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles. In response to COVID-19 the organization launched its Distance Learning Center program to support youth and families while local schools conduct virtual instruction. To learn more or support the Club, please visit www.boysgirlsclubsm.org.
