Meet The Youth
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Ja’Nai Turner Ja’Nai has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club since she was able to attend at the age of five. She started attending the Bywater Club, then moved to the Bates Club, and now attends the Admiral Oaks Club where she has worked as Junior Staff since June of 2010. Ja’Nai always has a positive attitude and is eager to share her optimism with Club members and staff alike. Ja’Nai had a tough childhood. When she was sixteen she lost her mother. During her mother’s sickness, Ja’Nai was the primary care-taker. After her mother’s passing, Ja’Nai lived with her Aunt and took care of her cousin and nephew. Despite having so much responsibility placed on her at such a young age Ja’Nai managed to be the first in her family to graduate high school. No matter how much has been stacked against her, she maintains a positive attitude. Ja’Nai genuinely cares about people and it shows in her work at the Club. She wants to continue her education to become a nurse practitioner and eventually manage her own non-profit. |
 Demontae ReidYouth of the Year—Freetown Village Glen Burnie High School, Age 15 Demontae is a freshman at Glen Burnie High School where he is an honor student. He has been an honor student since fourth grade. Demontae was chosen by his school to attend the Congressional Youth Leadership Council last year. He has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club since the age of six and is an active member of Keystone Club and Passport to Manhood. Demontae was Torch Club president for two years before moving on to Keystone. He is an active member at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church where he is part of the Youth Ministry Youth Choir and Bible Study group. He takes pride in working in his community helping the elderly and youth. Demontae holds the position of Junior Knight Deacon for the Knight of Pythagoras organization and plans to earn a master’s degree in culinary arts.
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Omar White
 Youth of the Year—Bywater Annapolis High School, Age 17 Omar White has been a member of the Bywater Club for eight years. He is a Senior at Annapolis High School in the International Baccalaureate Program. Omar is the President of the Bywater Keystone Club and was selected to serve on the Steering Committee of the Keystone Northeast Regional Summit in 2010.
Omar is a member of the National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society and participates in Annapolis High School’s International Baccalaureate program. This dedication has served Omar well as he has already been accepted to the University of Miami which is his number one choice for the Fall Semester. This is Omar’s 1st year as a Junior Staff member. Omar enjoys spending time with his group of friends who he refers to as his “Team” and he loves music.
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 Charles ButlerYouth of the Year—Bates Annapolis High School, Age 17 Charles has been a BGCAA member for eleven years and has overcome numerous obstacles to become a well-rounded member of the community. Among his many accomplishments, Charles is an International Baccalaureate Student at Annapolis High School. The IB program is the highest academic program in Anne Arundel County. He is also on the Junior Staff at the Bates Club with a long-term goal of getting more teens into the Club to help mentor the younger members.
Charles strives to excel academically and is taking classes to prepare for college so he can study Sports Management or Computer Science. He is an active member of the school’s Student Government Association, and learns something new every day, whether it is in sports or robotics. He vows to bring this new knowledge with him to college so he can succeed. Charles already received an acceptance letter from the University of West Virginia.
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Shemaiah Clark
 Youth of the Year—Meade Village Meade High School, Age 15 Shemaiah was born and raised in Queens, New York, and moved to Maryland in 2008. Shemaiah was an honor roll student her freshman year in Maryland and is determined to continue that achievement for the rest of her High School years. Her favorite hobbies are dancing, basketball and JROTC. She started JROTC her sophomore year and enjoys the competition and ceremonies.
Shemaiah likes to set, and reach, her goals. In the future she plans to get her driver’s license, become a Battalion Commander at JROTC, continue on the school’s honor roll, earn a scholarship for college, and become a nurse for the Army. |
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“I want to be the first to show [my four younger brothers] that you can overcome obstacles and reach your dreams.” ~ Omar ~ |
“I try to learn from any mistakes and use them to enhance my character to make myself a better person.” ~ Shemaiah ~ |
“With determination, I can do whatever I set my mind to.” ~ Charles ~
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“The Club has been a family to me. It taught me that no dream is impossible.”
~ Ja’Nai ~
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“Cooking reminds me of life. You take one step at a time and follow directions to become successful at the end.” ~ Demontae ~ |