By Robert Perea
The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows Serving Fernley honored Daniel Nunez and Faith Paulman, both sophomores at Fernley High School, as its Youths of the Year at its fourth annual Fernley Awards Banquet on Oct. 2 at the Community Response and Resource Center.
The Club also honored seven Members of the Year in four different categories and named the City of Fernley as the winner of its Distinguished Service Award and presented Pat Spracklin with its Lifetime Service Award.
The Distinguished Service Award goes to an individual, group or family who has made significant contributions to the Boys & Girls Club and the community. The Club recognized the City of Fernley for its investment in its youth, supporting youth sports, supporting the Boys & Girls Club Passport to Party fundraiser, and its milestone of opening the Community Response and Resource Center, which is now home to the Boys & Girls Club.
Spracklin was awarded the Lifetime Service Award from being one of the driving forces behind bringing the Boys & Girls Club to Fernley. She was one of five original members of ComPass (Community Partners Seeking Solutions), a grassroots group founded by the late Diana Wagner with the vision of creating a youth center in Fernley.
As a longtime Rotarian, Spracklin was instrumental in rallying Rotary Club support, including proceeds from tournaments and events that sustained the Club in its earliest years.
In addition, the Club raised more than $20,000 through donations during the banquet, as well as a pair of $5,000 matching donations, from Tina Petersen and Joe Mendoza.
The Youth of the Year Award is the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s signature effort to foster a new generation of leaders, fully prepared to live and lead in a diverse, global and integrated world economy. It is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club youth can achieve.
Nunez is 15 years old and is in his second year in the Upward Bound Program through the University of Nevada, Reno, a program that helps first-generation college-bound students prepare for college.
Nunez related how his father grew up in Guatemala as the oldest of 12 children in a family with little money.
“In the 10th grade he dropped out of school at the age of 15 to help his family, a grade I currently am in now,” Nunez said. “For this reason, I strive to be the first one in my family to go to college, in hopes of making them proud.”
Nunez said he has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club since second grade.
“Without the Boys & Girls Club, I honestly do not know how different my life would be, because I’ve been here so long,’” he said. “Experiences and friendships I formed here have shaped who I am, making me grateful for every moment spent within these walls.”
Nunez said he has been involved in school leadership since seventh grade and plans to run for Student Body President.
Nunez said he’s undecided on his future, but would like to become either a lawyer or police officer.
“I honestly believe that the Boys & Girls Club has had a huge influence on me, not just by helping academically, but by showing me different types of jobs that are out there,” he said.
Paulman said she started going to the Boys & Girls Club in kindergarten.
“Whether through personal experiences or moments of self-discovery I learned that at every step, no matter how small, has meaning,” she said. “At the teen center, trustworthy relationships are built on open communication and mutual respect where everyone feels safe enough to rely on each other.”
She said members at the Boys & Girls club learn many skills such as communication, teamwork and problem solving.
“Communication skills are the most effective because it helps me everywhere I go, p professionally and personally,” Paulman said. “There’s no telling how my life would be if I didn’t have the Boys & Girls Club.”
As a three-sport athlete, Paulman said the Boys & Girls Club has helped her learn positivity, leadership, empathy, accountability and encouragement.
“Participating at the Boys & Girls Club is most important to me because it means getting involved in activities that help others,” she said. “Volunteering is a big part of being in the Keystone Leadership Club and I love organizing donations or serving people in need. Participating in these kinds of events is so rewarding because I get to be a part of something that’s making a positive impact on our entire community.”
At Fernley High School, Paulman participates in JV football, varsity girls wrestling and JV softball. She spoke of her love of wrestling and thanked the coaches who have helped her since she started the sport in first grade.
“I’m so fortunate I’ve had so many opportunities to improve and seek great results when I’m winning tournaments and getting recognized by other wresters and teams around Nevada,” Paulman said.
She said her goal is to compete for the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s wrestling team and her career goals are to be a traveling physical therapist.
“I’ve always been passionate about helping others since I’ve lived through a lot of the experiences,” Paulman said.
The Club’s Members of the Year Awards were presented to:
Academic Success
- Bailey Whitten, Cottonwood Elementary School
- Ellanore Sudweeks, Fernley Youth & Teen Clubhouse
Good Character and Leadership
- Jalayla Rutledge, East Valley Elementary School
- Clyde Hawkins, Silverland Middle School
Healthy Lifestyles
- Aaron Ramirez, Fernley Youth & Teen Clubhouse
- Hailey Sparks, Fernley Youth & Teen Clubhouse
Life & Workforce
- Jose Ramos, Fernley Youth & Teen Clubhouse
Comment
Comments