The Youth of the Year (YOY) award is an annual Boys & Girls Clubs initiative to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of Club members on a regional, state, and national scale. Each year, Boys & Girls Clubs of Austin selects one exemplary youth ambassador, who embodies the values of leadership and service, academic excellence, and healthy lifestyles, to represent our local organization and advance onto the state-level Boys & Girls’ Clubs Youth of the Year Awards.
In receiving this designation, Marley was awarded a $10,000 scholarship and was able to attend the BGC Texas Alliance State Conference in March, where she accompanied our CEO Zenae Campbell on a tour of the State Capitol to meet local lawmakers.

A Club kid since the 3rd grade, Marley credits Boys & Girls Club with helping her develop the confidence and discipline she needed to pursue her love for basketball and a college career. This year, she helped the Navarro Girls Varsity basketball team make it to the playoffs for the second year in a row, and this fall she will start at the University of Houston to study pre-law.

“At the Boys and Girls Club, I found my first group of friends, played team basketball for the first time, and attended my first UT basketball game. Although the events were truly amazing, the people I met along the way, staff members, old classmates, and friends, made being a Club member worthwhile. I will cherish Club memories forever and carry the experiences and lessons throughout my adult life.”