Destiny Delgado is one of a dozen local kids with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson who have definitely earned steak dinners.
Delgado, who is a βyouth of the yearβ for the Holmes Tuttle Clubhouse, was also named the 2019 βMark Irvin City of Tucsonβ youth of the year and was chosen as one of three finalists for Arizona youth of the year. She will be celebrated with the other local youths at the 28th annual Steak & Burger Dinner at 5 p.m. on June 7 at Casino del Sol.
βI was extremely honored when I was selected to represent the entire Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson and feel extremely blessed that they believed in me enough to send me to the state competition,β said Delgado.
The 18-year-old, who graduated from Cienega High School last Saturday and will attend the University of Arizona with a full-ride scholarship this fall, has worked hard to earn the vote of confidence.
Delgado joined the Holmes Tuttle Clubhouse in 2010, where she began playing basketball and taking part in numerous programs including Money Matters, SMART Moves and Parks in Focus. She is also current president of the Keystone Club and a participant in the Club Internship Academy (CIA), which teaches basic communication, multitasking, prioritizing and other job readiness skills while providing participants with stipends. Through CIA skills and connections at the clubhouse, Delgado also performed internships with several local physicians. The experiences influenced her desire to become a nurse practitioner.
Additionally, Delgado is a peer facilitator for the I Am You 360 Empowerment curricula though a partnership with I Am You 360. The local grassroots nonprofit is dedicated to helping the youth of Tucson build self-esteem, self-confidence, self-worth and dignity while becoming academically successful.
βWith I Am You 360, our goal is to make sure the kids end up leaving the room as better people than when they came in. We have different lessons based on self-esteem, anti-bullying and encouraging others. The overall atmosphere of the course is to be positive: We want kids to know that they can talk to us and that we are their friends,β Delgado said.
She said that joining the BGCT was a turning point in her life; the club became her βsecond homeβ and she discovered a love for basketball that impacted her choice to attend Cienega, where she achieved a GPA of 4.7 weighted (3.86 unweighted) and became the fourth person in her extended family to graduate from high school.
βThe Boys & Girls Club really helped me come out of my shell. Playing basketball at the clubhouse forced me out of my comfort zone, made me interact with others, helped me with my social skills and helped me to become comfortable communicating with multiple people on a daily basis. If not for them, I wouldnβt have played basketball or gone to Cienega and wouldnβt be the person I am now,β said Delgado, who also credits her mom, Theresa Gomez, for providing ongoing strength and inspiration throughout the journey.
The kids and staff at the clubhouse had another chance to show their support when Delgado faced a serious health crisis last year with the diagnosis of homocystinuria, a rare genetic disorder in which the body is unable to process certain building blocks of proteins properly.
While dealing with a diagnosis that turned her life upside down and resulted in blood clots in her brain, Delgado said that the club staff helped her to process the depression, fear and anger she experienced as she changed her diet and learned to control the disorder through medication.
βThe staff didnβt treat me any differently: I was still a club kid to them. They supported me through one of the darkest moments of my life and gave me the opportunity and confidence to talk about what happened to me,β said Delgado.
Moving forward, Delgado, who received $10,000 in scholarships from BGCT in addition to her UA scholarship, anticipates becoming a first-generation college graduate.
She encourages local youth to explore the opportunities that BGCT offers and hopes that parents will encourage their children to become club kids like she and her sister, Desiree.
βAt first, my mom didnβt like the idea. I think she thought the kids at the club were bad, but I told her they are more genuine and have bigger hearts than lots of the kids at school ... and the club offers tutoring and pushes them in the right direction. They stayed out of trouble by coming to the club,β Delgado said.
The six clubhouses citywide have more than 4,100 registered members ages 7 to 17 who utilize after-school care from 3 to 8 p.m. on weekdays. For a $20 annual membership fee, the clubs offer students programming in five core areas: education and career; the arts; character and leadership; health; and life skills.
The after-school programs are complemented by sports leagues and other community partnerships; in total, almost 10,000 kids were served at clubhouses last year, according to BGCT chief executive Debbie Wagner.
More than 1,400 youths are expected to take part in six-week summer programs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays beginning June 3. The summer camp membership costs $60 (scholarships are available) and includes lunch every day.
βWe have field trips to museums around town, we go swimming, our computer tech programs are open, and we offer many different arts and STEM activities. It is a really fun program and an amazing opportunity for parents who are working. It is tough to find a safe, fun place in the summer where kids will be learning that offers different activities tailored to the interests of every child,β said Wagner.
Ultimately, Wagner said the goal is to give each child the opportunity to reach his or her potential and become a productive, healthy member of the community.
βSo many of our kids are high achievers and are so courageous. We hear story after story about kids overcoming obstacles and overcoming their shyness to learn to speak in front of crowds. We attribute it to our leadership programs and to having a sense of belonging β a place where they feel safe in spite of any life circumstances. It is so heartwarming,β Wagner said.
