Yellow Arrow Photography » Wedding and portrait photography

Day 4. Judgement day. Showtime. This is the day that each of the youth had been preparing for. Before arriving in Huntington Beach, Vanessa and I had a pretty good idea of what to expect for the week. However, we underestimated the power of the relationships that would be built over the few days we had with our group. Afterall, this was a “competition” with $15,000 in scholarship money, and a trip to Washington D.C. to meet the President that was on the line. Who wants to make friends?

Well, that’s exactly what happened. 17 youth took part in this amazing experience, chosen by leaders in their community to represent their Boys & Girls Clubs, and their states. But, this wasn’t like the Hunger Games where you turn them loose and let them take each other out to become the victor. Instead, each youth held each other up, supported one another, and gave props when one of them did something amazing. They were genuine, humble, and amazing representatives.

In the end, California’s Youth of the Year, Yossy Rojas was chosen to represent the Pacific region. He will no doubt be a force in Washington and we all can’t help but feel we are moving forward with him.

As far as Vanessa goes, this isn’t the last time you will hear from her. This expereience is just a small piece of her journey. Every person at the Boys & Girls Club of Salem, Marion and Polk Counties is so proud of her accomplishments. She is one extraordinary 18 year old and will dominate in the future.

I ended up a few days behind on my Youth of the Year posts, but low and behold I bring you some of the photos from our day at Disneyland. By Wednesday, all the youth had bonded pretty tightly and for most of them, this was their first time experiencing Disneyland. It was awesome that they got to do this together.

One of the coolest things that happened to the group I was with was when we rode Space Mountain. We got to ride two times in a row because the operator was temporarily distracted by park (or cast member) staff so they just waved us through for a second helping of twists and turns in the darkness. Vanessa and I had a front row seat and screamed our heads off! The Tower of Terrior was a real doozy and the Pirates ride was a feast for the eyes. All in all, everyone enjoyed their time at the happiest place on earth.

I will update you on day 4 soon… for now, enjoy these Disney photos!

Day 2 started out with some media training. National staff gave a BGCA 101 lesson to all of the Youth of the Year candidates to prep them for the possibility of being interviewed by a reporter when it’s time for the big show on Thursday. The teens practiced in front of one another and 1 by 1 their stories spilled out. They all come from different walks of life and they are all no doubt extraordinary.

This year is the first year that BGCA has sperated state Youth of the Year winners and military Youth of the Year winners, so our group is large. The youth have connected with each other like they’ve known each other for years. It’s really fun to watch them interact, bond and then support one another.

After media training, they practiced on-camera interviews. Again, the poise that each youth had, in spite of their challenges in life, was so inspiring. The interviews were follwed by dinner on the Huntington Beach Pier at a popluar diner called Ruby’s. The pier is over a quarter mile long and Ruby’s sits at the very end of it and overlooks miles of ocean. There were numerous sufers catching waves to prepare for the US Surf Open, which will happen this Saturday. The beach was alive with people setting up for the event and shopping centers, surf stores, and various vendors spilled out into the streets which created a Saturday market feel.

As far as today…we are off to the Happiest Place on Earth.

Youth of the Year Regionals Day 1…

Well, here we are. The time has finally arrived for Youth of the Year regionals. This year the event is taking place in Huntington Beach, CA. Vanessa has prepared herself for this moment for over a year. As we roamed around the Hyatt, both of us were awe struck by the beauty that surrounded us. Vanessa said she didn’t even know how to feel, that seeing something so beautiful and being  inside the opportunity she has been praying for was a very overwhelming feeling for her.

But… it didn’t take long for Vanessa to make 19 new friends. This group of amazing teenagers are most likely experiencing the best week they have ever had. For some of them, today was the first day they saw the ocean. To be able to witness these young people thrive is truly humbling and puts things into prospective for me.

Please take a peak at our first day. Vanessa and I will keep you updated as much as possible, but for now, it’s off to media training!