Grand
Brooke Grand, the 2015 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, will compete for the title of “National Youth of the Year” in Washington, D.C. next month.
The regional youth of the year title comes with a $10,000 scholarship renewable for four years.
“Growing up Brooke was constantly faced with troubling obstacles as her peers made destructive life choices,” a press release from the Boys & Girls club said. “She was faced with the decision to be a follower or stand up for what she believed in. Family life wasn’t much better. She was forced to grow up much quicker than her peers, providing for herself and caring for her own needs. The Boys & Girls Club helped her steer clear of these negative influences and get on the right path.”
The club became a home away from home for Brooke, “a hardworking, highly motivated young woman, with a willingness to help others and a positive attitude despite the obstacles she has faced.”
“Without my Boys & Girls Club, I could honestly say I would not be the person I am today,” Brooke said. “From the positive role models, to being given the chance of a great future, I am forever indebted to my Club for changing my outlook on life and allowing me to see the positives, even when faced with so many negatives.”
An honors student, Grand plans on attending Southern Connecticut State University.
In an email to Boys & Girls Club supporters, Shaye Roscoe, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, said “to say that we are all extremely proud is an understatement.”
“We are extremely proud of Brooke and her many accomplishments,” Roscoe said. “She is an incredibly inspiring young woman whose determination to succeed even when faced with tremendous adversity, is admirable.”
