Idaho Youth of the Year Luncheon
Thursday, February 23, 2017 | 12:00 PM
17th Floor of Eighth & Main

RSVP to kandis@adaclubs.org by Feb 15

Fatima Fernandez

2017 Ada County Youth of the Year Finalist

Meet Fatima Fernandez, our 2017 Ada County Youth of the Year!  Fatima was born in Lynwood, California where she spent her early childhood living with her extended family all under one roof. Eventually, Fatima, her mom, and brothers moved to Idaho while her dad stayed behind to work in California. By 1st grade, her mom was looking for a place to take Fatima that would keep her busy and active and that place was the Moseley Center Boys & Girls Club. Fatima has been an active Club member since she started attending.

Fatima says that the Club has provided her with opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise. From field trips and Hiking Club, to homework help in Power Hour and Junior Staff, Fatima has been involved in almost every program offered at the Club. She has especially loved being involved in soccer, Torch Club, and Keystone and she has held leadership positions in each of them. Fatima has also found ways to give back to the Club, like Junior Staffing in Club programs such as Brilliant Bakers, and helping coach the U14 girls’ soccer team who took 2nd place this year in tournament!

Fatima is also a proud Latina. She says that people might think that being a Latina in Idaho would be hard at times, but she likes her culture and is proud to show it off to other people so they can enjoy new, different experiences just like she does every day at the Boys & Girls Club. After high school she plans to attend the California Institute of Art to pursue a career in art animation.

2017 Ada County Youth of the Year Candidates

Meet Steeve Bondodillo, one of the candidates who is competing for the title of Ada County Youth of the Year!

Steeve was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2002 where he grew up in a poor family. His parents were so poor they gave Steeve and his brother up for adoption, hoping they would have better opportunities. He and his brother stayed at the Three Angels Orphanage until a major 7.0 earthquake shook the country in 2010 and changed his life forever. After 3 nights of sleeping in a field to stay safe after the earthquake, Steeve and his brother were brought to America by their new family to start living a new and better life.

Steeve lived in Arizona for 2 years before moving to Idaho and becoming a Club member in 2012. Shy at first, Steeve credits the Torch Club program with bringing him out of his shell and sparking a passion for helping others. Steeve is always looking for ways to help around the Club. It may be something as simple as helping clean up trash or taking on a project to make the Club a more welcoming place. He loves working with the younger kids and encouraging them to live the Club values of respect, responsibility, and integrity. While at the Club he has also been involved in Power Hour, Keystone Club, Summer Hiking Club, and Junior Staff.

Steeve loves that he moved to a place with a Boys & Girls Club where he can be actively involved in making a difference and encouraging his peers to do the same. Steeve hopes to attend Boise State University after high school to pursue a degree in the medical field so he can continue helping others.

Meet Deeana Castro, one of the candidates who is competing for the title of Ada County Youth of the Year!

Deeana was born and raised in Boise, Idaho but has spent weekends and school breaks traveling to Rupert to spend time with her dad. As a second grader who couldn’t stay home alone, Deeana and her family were looking for a safe place she could go after school. A friend told her how awesome the Club was and Deeana soon convinced her mom to sign her up. She became an official member in 2010 and has been an active member since. She has always been willing to give anything a try and has developed several passions while participating in activities at the Club. Soccer has been an integral part of her experience. She has played the last 5 seasons at the Club and has been team captain for 3 of them. She credits soccer and the Club for helping build her leadership skills on and off the field. She strives to help her teammates improve on the field and demonstrates what it’s like to be a leader off the field as well by showing kindness to others and having integrity.

Apart from soccer Deeana has also been involved in Keystone, Torch Club, Power Hour, Junior Staff, and Rec Basketball. Through each of these programs she has been able to demonstrate her leadership skills and grow them with the help of Club staff. She loves to find ways to help around the Club and get her peers involved in projects to benefit her community. She is also active in her school and has played on both the volleyball and basketball team. She strives hard to do well in school and won the Presidential Award for excelling in academics in 2014.

Deeana’s leadership around the Club can be noticed daily and she continues to look for new opportunities to give back. After graduating, Deeana hopes to attend Seattle University to pursue a career helping others.

Meet Josiah Palafox, one of the candidates who is competing for the title of Ada County Youth of the Year!

At the age of 8 Joe’s life was turned upside down when he moved from living with his mother and grandmother in Canada to living with his dad and stepmom in Idaho. Not long after the big move, he became a member of the Boys & Girls Club and life has never been better. Joe has made lasting friendships, connected with role models, and is moving forward in a positive direction. Joe loves to serve others. In his six years at the Club, Joe has served with both Torch Club and Keystone Club, and is an active member of the Junior Staff program. After high school Joe plans to attend the University of Hawaii and study history. He intends to pursue a career as a historian after college.

Previous Youth of the Year Recipients

Ada County Winner 2016 – Kayli McConkey

Ada County Winner 2015 – Olyvia Border

Ada County Winner 2014 – Irene Rodriguez

Ada County Winner 2013 – Olyvia Border

Ada County Winner 2012 – Wes Petit

Ada County Winner 2011 & Pacific Region Winner – Darnisha Victorain