I started going to the Nānākuli Boys and Girls Club when I was 6 years old—the clubhouse is a crosswalk away from my grade school, Nānāikapono Elementary. It was one of their bring-a-friend days, where you can experience the Club for a day without being a member, so I went with my friend Kalias to their afterschool program called A-plus.

I remember it was very loud and very intimidating. There were these two big blue doors that looked about 10 feet tall—like they were going to swallow me whole. But the staff welcomed me with open arms, and I ended up having the best hour of my life. Ever since that day, the Club has been my life.

The staff has helped me continue to grow, and they just want to see me succeed. All of the kids who come here have struggles, and we’ve been going through it lately. But we’re surrounded by a whole village. They see all the potential you have, and they bring it out in you. They’re the family when you don’t have a family.

Boys and Girls Club has so many programs, and I love them all. There’s Money Matters, where they teach you about finances and how to budget. Kids Cooking Local, where you can learn to cook. Project Alert, which is all about saying no to drugs and peer pressure.

But the ones that are at the root of who I am are the leadership programs—Torch Club for ages 7 to 12, and Leaders in Training for teens. They’ve grounded me in responsibility and being a role model, and they taught me to put actions where my words are. I’m learning how to be a valuable asset to not only myself but to my peers and, in the near future, to my country.

I also really love community service. One year we did a beach cleanup at Māili Beach. All of the Nānākuli Club kids came together to dig up this big glass bottle that was buried deep in the sand. Bonding over picking up trash and getting that glass bottle out was something that really touched me. I helped make the beach a safer place, but I also made a deep connection with these people.

Winning Youth of the Year is definitely an accomplishment. It took a lot of brain power, a lot of support, and a lot of tears to get to this point. It’s something I’m most definitely proud of, but the best part of the experience is making my Club proud.

The Club has really influenced me to be who I am and to Kūlia i Ka Nu‘u, which is also the motto at my school, Nānākuli High School: “We Seek the Highest.” I used to be this little shy girl—never like talk to anybody—but now I’m not scared to be my loud, funny, extroverted self. I love who I am, and the Club has taught me to embrace that. I take the inspiration that I get from the Club and I use it to inspire my classmates.

Next year, I’ll be going to UH Mānoa [University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa]. I plan on majoring in biology and taking pre-med courses, so I can enroll in medical school and become a travel anesthesiologist. I dream big, and I know many other kids from my community dream big, too.

After I graduate, I see myself still being in the Club, volunteering with Youth of the Year or speaking to other kids about my experience. I know I can put us on the map and show them that good things come out of Nānākuli. If someone from a small community can achieve something like this, then they can memorize a speech or go through an interview, even though they are nervous. They can stand tall and be confident and think, “If Ladayna can win Youth of the Year and go to college, I can too.”

Visit Boys & Girls Club Of Hawaii.