Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Georgia did not let the current state of our world stop the organization from celebrating their 2020 graduates. On a recent Zoom call, BGCNCG hosted its first ever virtual Senior Celebration. Seniors dawned their Club royal blue caps and gowns as parents, Club board members and community members gathered virtually to celebrate their accomplishments. And for this graduating class their Club time is uniquely special.
“The Boys & Girls Club has been very influential to me. It has been a support system, a community and an inspiration,” Ricquaria Griggs, Pete Nance Boys & Girls Club Senior, shared. “The Club is where I did my very first community project and inspired me for my future endeavors. When I first got accepted into Savannah College of Art and Design, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition, but the Boys & Girls Club stepped in and introduced me to various scholarship opportunities. They encouraged me to pursue my dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Thank you to the PNBGC!”
For Madison-Morgan County Boys & Girls Club Senior Ar’mond Wright, the Club has been his home since it first opened.
“The Boys & Girls Club is one of the places I like to call home. The Club has helped me fulfill my hopes, promises and dreams,” Wright shared. “The Club has been with me my whole life since it opened in Madison. The Club has helped me pursue my passions and helped me discover the characteristics of myself that I thought I would never know and for that I am grateful.”
Each Senior shared a message of how the Club changed their life.
“This is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. I look at the Boys & Girls Club as a big happy family and a helping hand in the community. When I come into the Club, I feel safe and accepted and here I’ve learned the ins and outs of honesty and positivity,” DJ Wright shared. “The Club is a place where any kid can come and truly find themselves while being able to dream big with staff that are willing to help along the way. I’m so grateful for my Club.”
Angelica Bostwick, Walton County Boys & Girls Club 2020 Youth of the Year and a Club Senior, concluded the senior moment with this reflection, “the Boys & Girls Club helped me gain more courage than I had before and I don’t know what I would have done without the Club.”
Seniors then heard a special message from London Reeves the director of Alumni Development for Boys & Girls Clubs of America before being inducted as BGCA Alumni & Friends Club members.
Club youth participate in Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Alumni Oath.
“I heard from Seniors words like, “community, family, exploration, and encouragement,” Reeves shared. “Once a Club kid always a Club kid and as you make this transition to becoming Alumni you are joining a host of celebrities, CEO’s and your fellow Club staff as alumnus.”
Reeves shared an inspiring word around potential for each Senior’s future.
“Your class is like no class before you. Always do your best and know your best will vary from day-to-day. It is my hope and belief that you can do anything. I invite each of you to own all of who you are, all of your greatness, to walk truly in your purpose and know you can always return home,” Reeves shared. “Once a Club kid, always a Club kid!”
To close the Senior Celebration, Bob Mackey, President and CEO of BGCNCG shared these remarks, “We thank you for not giving up. We thank you for being a role model for those who came before you and will follow after. You have already inspired the next generation. Ten years from now you’ll regret most the things you didn’t do, and we want you to set out to do it all. We congratulate you and we want all of you to make a mark and make a difference.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Georgia serves the communities of Greene, Morgan, Walton, Newton and Lamar Counties. To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Georgia, visit www.bgcncg.comor call 770-267-8034.