| Savannah Ashton
2013 Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County Youth of the Year
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County is proud to announce our 2013 Youth of the Year – Savannah Ashton. Savannah is a self-motivated, responsible, compassionate and giving young lady from the Lester H. White Boys & Girls Club/NFL Youth Education Town.
A panel of esteemed judges from the community selected Savannah for this prestigious recognition based on her overall service to the Club, community, academic success, strong moral character, love for her family, leadership and public speaking skills. Savannah is a sophomore at Stranahan High School, where she is an exceptional honors student with a 3.86 GPA, an active platoon leader of the Jr. ROTC Drill Team, as well as a talented musician.
“Savannah is intelligent, dedicated, responsible, persistent, ambitious and committed; these are traits which are necessary as she seeks to achieve her academic and professional goals,” said Pastor Godfrey Johnson. “Her spirit of volunteerism is unsurpassed, primarily because she has a genuine love for people, especially the younger ones that she inspires and motivates through the church’s tutoring program where she provides homework help for her younger friends.”
Savannah has been an active member and volunteer of the Lester H. White Club for eight years; completing more than 520 service hours the last two years. She is an active member of the Keystone Club and walks 2.3 miles from school to the Club four days a week to assist many of the younger members with their homework and special projects such as the Youth Educational Success (YES) Program, FCAT preparation while also taking the New England SAT Prep Course. She consistently helps serve snacks and supper, helps clean up the game rooms, and shares her passion of singing by inspiring other Club members to record in the music studio. She most recently volunteered her time on Tuesday and Thursday nights for several months to restore a custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle for the Biker’s Bash live auction. The proceeds were used to support Boys & Girls Clubs programs.
“Savannah understands the importance of discipline and willingly takes on new opportunities and projects to prepare herself for the future,” said Rich Ouellette, Senior Club Director for the Lester H. White Club. “Her passion and work ethic as a volunteer has greatly added to the effectiveness of our staff. Savannah is everything we hope our Club members will eventually become."
Savannah said it best, “The Club became a shelter where my mind sought refuge and peace [when she first came to the Club, her family was experiencing a financial crisis]. The staff have become mentors, friends and family as opposed to just coaches. They helped me with my homework every day until I mastered the curriculum enough to do it alone. The Boys & Girls Club introduced me to new experiences such as the motorcycle club, job expos and college fairs. I could volunteer at public libraries or school related activities, but I’d rather be at the Club. After spending almost a decade at the Boys & Girls Club, I can truly say that it has had a positive impact on my life.”
Outside of the Club, Savannah is active in the Fort Lauderdale community serving as a volunteer at her church, Melrose Park Assembly of God, as a tutor and mentor to younger children, and as a singer in the church’s youth group. She aspires to attend Howard University, and is considering law school while still pursuing her love of music. Congratulations, Savannah! | 
