Redding, Connecticut, March 6, 2013 – Selected among several local outstanding youth, Sophie Ota will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the Connecticut Youth of the Year title and a $1,000 college scholarship from Tupperware Brands Corporation. As the new Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Club of Redding-Easton, 16-year old Sophie is a true example of an extraordinary young woman recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for her sound character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community.
 
Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. As BGCA’s premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, as well as overcoming personal challenges and obstacles. Youth of the Year encourages Club members to reach their full potential by achieving academic success, leading healthy lifestyles and contributing to their communities. Youth of the Year honorees are shining examples and living proof that great futures start at Boys & Girls Clubs.
 
“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Sophie for the past 10 years. She truly embodies the qualities of a leader. She is a very passionate about everything she does and her enthusiasm is contagious. I’m proud of her and wish her the best of luck in the state competition,” said Carlos Collazo, Executive Director.
 
During the spring, Sophie can usually be found in the Boys & Girls Club snack shack cooking away and chatting with all the kids that come to say hi.  Sophie has been a member of the Boys & Girls club since she started playing t-ball as a young girl in Redding.  Over the past few years, Sophie’s service to the club has only increased.  In addition to serving as co-president of the Keystone Club, a TEEN group dedicated to leadership and community service, Sophie also assists in running the club’s Imagemakers PHOTOGRAPHY contest every spring.  Since 2010, Sophie has been working in one capacity or another at the club.  This spring she will be entering her 3^rd year running our concession stand.  Sophie looks at her responsibilities not as just a part time job but as a way to give back to the club she’s been a member of ever since she was hitting off a tee on the softball field.  Sophie has been a great role model for her two younger sisters Abby & Hannah and continues to provide the maturity and passion for helping others that her parents can be proud of.
 
In addition to the services Sophie has provided the Boys & Girls Club she has also volunteered in the community through running Venetian mask-making stations at Redding Elementary School’s Annual Art Fest in 2011, and a Tibetan mask-making station at the Redding Girls Scouts Annual World Thinking Day celebration. She has also volunteered as a seamstress and creating costumes for the musical productions at John Read Middle School. This love for back stage production continued on at Joel Barlow High School where she led a crew of makeup artist during JBHS’ fall musicals, helping transform the actors into their characters. She also helped make over 60 pieces of individualized jewelry for the production of King and I.  
 
Sophie is a very involved student her love for the humanities has motivated her to take such classes as Advanced Placement Studio Art and Advanced Placement English. They have been quite challenging and extremely demanding. Her focus throughout the studio art course has been designing and creating interior decorations inspired by microbiology. She has also seen scholastic achievement outside the classroom through academic competitions wining honorable mention for a brass cuff bracelet. Her exceptional writing skills landed her winner of the ANNUAL JBHS National Council of Teachers of English writing contest. Her writing is going to be representing JBHS in the statewide NCTE Competition. She is also involved in the JBHS yearbook serving as Editor-In-Chief. Sophie is an active FALCON Student-Athlete. She has participated in varsity indoor track, varsity outdoor track and varsity outdoor cross-country. She served last fall as junior team captain and was recently elected to serve as senior team captain next fall.
 
If Sophie wins at the state competition, she will compete for the title of Northeast Region Youth of the Year and an additional $10,000 scholarship from Tupperware Brands, the recognition program’s national sponsor. Five regional winners will advance to Washington, D.C., in September 2013, to compete for the title of BGCA’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year will receive an additional scholarship of up to $50,000 from The Rick and Susan Goings Foundation and will have the opportunity to meet with the President of the United States in the White House.
 
About Boys & Girls Club of Redding-Easton

 
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve nearly 4 million children and teens through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. Clubs provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at bgca.org/facebook and bgca.org/twitter.

Contact:
Carlos Collazo, Executive Director

(203) 938-3166