Saving Lives through Youth Guidance & Development

Congratulations are in order for the new 2012 Oregon State Youth of the Year Milo Lopez, a 6-year member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland. After receiving the nomination to represent the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland earlier this year Milo went on to compete with 9 other amazing teens from Oregon and was selected as the Oregon Youth of the Year on April 6, 2012 at the Benson Hotel. In addition to winning this prestigious title, Milo will also receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Reader’s Digest Foundation. He is among hundreds of Youth of the Year winners across the country recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for his sound character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community.  

As a member of the Inukai Family Boys & Girls Club, Milo has come to be a familiar face not only at the Club, but as a part of the community. Grateful for the opportunities and the role models that have crossed his path Milo now stands as a role model among his peers and continues to work hard to advocate the importance of youth leadership and empowerment.

Milo began his service with the Clubs as a pre-teen volunteering during summers and gradually approached other opportunities like the Club's Keystone program where he became vice president, co-president, and now adviser. A position normally held for programming staff.

Moving from Oaxaca, Mexico to Oregon at the age of seven, Lopez battled serious depression, watched his mother get deported, and learned to live with an ill father who was rarely home because he worked two jobs. Finding the Boys & Girls Club helped Lopez adjust to his new life in the United States. Milo found the Boys & Girls Club to a be a key to his happiness. A place where he could become a leader: "Someone who is leading the way for others to find their own sense of importance, and a leader of change and opportunity," noted Milo. 

Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. As BGCA's premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year recognizes outstanding contributions to a member's family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, as well as overcoming personal challenges and obstacles. Youth of the Year encourages Club members to reach their full potential by achieving academic success, leading healthy lifestyles and contributing to their communities. Youth of the Year honorees are shining examples and living proof that great futures start at Boys & Girls Clubs.