On Monday, March 29th, 2021 at 1:00 pm, the Olivet Boys & Girls Club introduced Princess Lovett as the organization’s 2021 Youth of the Year.
Youth of the Year is a leadership recognition program designed by Boys & Girls Club of America to highlight outstanding teen club members who embody healthy lifestyles, academic excellence, good character, and leadership. This year, four Olivet teens were nominated as candidates for Youth of the Year and competed through an application process consisting of a resume, cover letter, and writing essays about topics such as “my club experience”, “what matters to me,” and “overcoming obstacles.” The competition culminated in a socially distant, in-person event on Wednesday evening when each candidate presented a speech and answered interview questions with a panel of judges with Princess being deemed as the overall winner.
Princess Lovett is current club member at the Pendora Unit and is a 9th grader at Reading High School. In addition to her role as a mentor and role model at the Club, Princess is an advocate in her local community. When she is not completing her own virtual school work at the club, she is helping her younger siblings and helping other, younger club members with their school work. Princess has also contributed as a volunteer. During the height of the pandemic, Princess helped support the Pendora staff and other volunteers in preparing and distributing emergency meals and pantry boxes for youth and families experiencing food insecurity. Princess is also a leader in her school and the community.
When she was in middle school, Princess and her peers recognized a problem. If girls in the middle school needed a menstrual product, they had to walk down to the nurse’s office and pay. This group of girls recognized this as unfair and started a project to address it known as “Girls Supporting Girls. Period”. Through this effort, the group acquired donations of menstrual products so that it was no longer necessary for girls to have to pay for products. The group also advocated for trash cans to be placed in bathroom stalls so that girls could adequately dispose of used products. Princess’ passion for helping others has lead her to want to make a career out of it, with the goal of going to law school to become a lawyer to help those that have been treated unfairly within the criminal justice system.
As Olivet’s Youth of the Year Winner, at the end of April, Princess will attend a virtual Youth of the Year Pennsylvania State Competition where she will compete with teens from other local Boys & Girls Club organizations.
About the Olivet Boys & Girls Club:
The Olivet Clubs provide a safe environment for youth ages 6-18 by providing programs that encourage character development, education, life skills, healthy living and exposure to arts and culture. These programs, along with guidance from our staff, allow kids to find their way out of poverty to become productive, outstanding members of society.
The Olivet Boys & Girls Club has a strong reputation for providing life-changing experiences to its members, including mentoring experiences with diverse, trained and caring staff and volunteers who want to make a difference in the life of a child.
A chartered member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Olivet Boys & Girls Club serves nearly 3,000 members a year at 10 sites located in Reading, Robesonia, and Shillington. The Club was founded in 1898. Its mission is “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as healthy, caring, productive, responsible citizens.”
For more information about Olivet Boys & Girls Club visit www.olivetbgc.org
