Shalonda St. Louis, a member of the Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County, was among 28 teens competing to represent Florida in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's (BGCA) Youth of the Year state competition. She was among hundreds of Youth of the Year winners across the country recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for her sound character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community.

St. Louis, like every other teenager, too faces day to day obstacles. Balancing school duties with responsibilities at home can be overwhelming, and then to add in the constant peer pressure to do the wrong things adds fuel to the fire. Amazingly though, St. Louis doesn't let any of this get her down. She chooses to face these obstacles with a smile and with her winning attitude; she has overcome many of these obstacles and has gained needed insight to help her along her journey called life.

ThoughSt. Louis was not selected to represent FL at BGCA's Southeast Regional competition, she remained positive, saying, "I was honored to represent St. Lucie County and be amongst the other 28 YOY from all over the state. The overall experience was great! Everyone was so nice and extremely welcoming."

Being that St. Louis has been a member at the Boys & Girls Club Infinity Teen Center for over 5 years now, she pretty much knows the rules in and out. She helps the staff with tasks and when new members join, St. Louis has been deemed an ambassador. She shows the new members our facilities, explains the Club's programs and also introduces new members to other members. When it's time to go outside and participate in our outside sports & recreation, and the neighborhood park is not as clean, St. Louis comes to the rescue with gloves and trash bags, and easily recruits other members to beautify the park. At special Club events like Day for Kids, when she could be enjoying all the festivities and eating popcorn and cotton candy, she instead volunteers running the games and activities for families in the community, all while still smiling!

Although just a teenager, St. Louis fully understands that we all have a civic duty to perform, and is always the first to sign up for a community service project. She has even suggested a few projects to tackle undertaking the role of forewoman for many projects/events on Stamp Out Hunger, Paint the Town, Haunted House and the Boys & Girls Club Play "Keep it on the Hush". With having performed over 250 hours of community service, St. Louis believes that "you should never stop until the job is done, and never think you've done enough because there is always something else to do."

As a senior at St. Lucie West Centennial High School, St. Louis is highly favored amongst faculty and her peers. So much in fact, that she was voted to be one of eight Senate officers of the school. Being a Senator, St. Louis has a vote on what does and doesn't happen at Centennial. St. Louis is also a part of the Early Childhood Academy, where she does set up and clean up for all meals, and aids in activities to interact with the young children. Striving for academic excellence has continually been a personal mission for St. Louis. With hard work and dedication she knows she can achieve the goals she has set. She will be pursuing her higher learning at Indian River State College in the fall, and receive her AA degree. Upon completion of her AA she intends on going to the University of Central Florida and majoring in Psychology. St. Louis refuses to be a product of her environment, but rather make her environment a product of her.

"We are extremely proud of Shalonda St. Louis," said Norm Penner, Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County. "From the age of 11, we have observed her stay dedicated to family, community and the Club while excelling academically, in spite of personal challenges and obstacles."

The Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the youth of the community. By providing a safe place to learn and grow, as well as life enhancing programs and character developing experiences; the club strives to enable all young people, especially those who need them most, to reach their full potential as caring, responsible and productive members of the community.

With nineteen locations throughout the county, the Boys & Girls Club programs serve a diverse group of kids age 5-18. The over 3,600 members come from a variety of backgrounds, although special effort is made to reach out to those children from disadvantaged circumstances. Contact the Club by calling (772)460-9918 or visit www.bgcofslc.org.