In February of 2012, I became a member of the Olympic Peninsula CCK Boys and Girls Club. I was 6 years old, and a naturally shy kid, so walking through those big blue doors into a noisy building was frightening. However, I had been begging my dad to enroll me in the Club since I had just started kindergarten that year, so I was determined to overcome my fears and submerge myself into a new experience. I soon realized that all the noise I perceived was the sound of kids being kids. The noise was laughter, student-run clubs, pool tournaments, and all kinds of fun. What I didn’t know at the time was that I wasn’t just opening the door to a building; I was opening the door to my future.

I was immediately welcomed into the positive and supportive culture that the staff and kids at my Club had jointly cultivated. I was always encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and engage with fellow Club members in a way that made me feel safe and supported. One of the first clubs I joined was SMART Girls, a program facilitating conversations and lessons surrounding physical, social, and emotional development as a young girl. This program was incredibly informative and helped me form friendships and bonds with girls who had the same questions as me. I also felt more connected to our female staff, who served as positive role models for me growing up. 

My Club is very opportunity-oriented. As a young, aspiring musician in a very small town, the Boys & Girls Club always offered me a platform. Whether it be in a talent show or performing at our annual auction, I always knew I had a Club family working hard to facilitate making my dreams come true. After years and years of that support, quite a few of those childhood dreams have become my reality. I began 2023 having just sung for our local Boys & Girls Club auction, where 350 people was the biggest crowd I had ever entertained. I finished 2023 with a national title, the completion of my first American tour, and being the youngest person in American history to sing the National Anthem at the World Series. 

           When I auditioned for the 2023 BGCA National Conference Youth Talent, I had little hope of being selected. After all, I had no vocal training and was sending in a video from an unheard of small town. When I was told that the judges wanted to hear more from me, I was shocked. Just to be in consideration for the event was my biggest musical accomplishment at the time. Being told that I was invited to be a solo performer was absolutely monumental. The experience alone was so beautiful, being surrounded by other musicians and Club kids and performing some of my dream numbers to an audience of almost 3000. Every moment of it was better than the last, as I made some of my now closest friends and discovered so much about myself as a person and a musician. 

The relationships I cultivated during the conference have all carried through. I became best friends with a group from Lake Tahoe, California. We bonded over growing up as Club kids and now all being young musicians with big hopes of being stars. That bond led me to Lake Tahoe for two weeks in July, where we put on a production of the musical Footloose. That trip holds some of my most treasured memories with my most treasured friends. Another significant connection I made at National Conference was standing out to the production team. After seeing a few of my performances, I was presented with the opportunity to sing at the Pacific Regional Youth of the Year competition. It wasn’t long before that opportunity morphed into being the solo touring performer for every regional and national Youth of the Year competition across the country. I spent the summer of 2023 all over the country in some of the greatest cities in the world, singing Elvis Presley’s civil rights inspired classic, “If I Can Dream.” 

At each event, I spoke to the audience about who I was and what my Club meant to me, and how important it is to me that I use my platform as a musician to represent the youth of America. I believe strongly in representing BGCA and our youth to be resilient, humble, kind, inclusive, and most importantly, to be dreamers. Nothing demonstrates success quite like the person who has the courage to follow their heart. My final stop on tour was in none other than New York City. I was starstruck to be in such a historically and musically rich environment. At this particular event, BGCA arranged for me to meet one of my idols, Broadway star Christopher Jackson. While I was focused on impressing him during my performance, I happened to catch the eye of the Vice President of Major League Baseball. So when I got the call that I had been asked to sing for game two of the 2023 World Series, my favorite trip of the year became what I now see as the night that changed my life.

Performing at the World Series was a crowd of nearly 60,000 people. Singing such an incredibly important song in front of my country was certainly at the front of my mind. However, the most exciting part of it was knowing my parents were right there on the field with me, and my Club was back home holding a community viewing party for me. That support is the sole reason I walked onto that field with no fear- because I knew my Club was right there with me. 

I like to believe that no matter what, I am destined to be on the stage. Even if it takes a lifetime to achieve, I have faith that I’m following what I was born to do. All the experiences that have kickstarted my career happened because of the Boys & Girls Club. I was told the day I walked through my Club doors 12 years ago, that “Great Futures Start Here.” I am living proof of that promise, representing all the excellence that is BGCA.