Melissa Ervin has been named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale Mary Ellen and Robert McKee Branch Youth of the Year, honored alongside her fellow branch winners during the Celebrate Youth 2014 event.

A junior attending Fountain Hills High School, Ervin has attended the local Boys & Girls Club branch for the past 12 years and has been an active member of many club programs including the Keystone Club, which focuses on community service including volunteering monthly at the local food bank and assisting with homeless shelters.

Ervin is also involved with Leaders in Training, which allows members ages 11-15 to volunteer at the club and learn basic job responsibilities and work habits during summer months.

“The Youth of the Year program is a premier character and leadership initiative, which has been in existence for more than 60 years,” said Celebrate Youth co-chair Janet Calderelli.

“Recipients of the award are chosen based on each finalist’s demonstration of moral character, life goals, leadership, poise, public speaking ability and service to the club, community and family.”

Ervin was informed she had been nominated for the McKee Branch honor last fall, followed by a process of interviews, essay writing, speech writing and presentation and more.

“It’s a long process and there’s actually a lot of work involved, but you learn so much and it’s definitely worth it,” Ervin said.

“The process began in late September and the Celebrate Youth event was in March. It was a little scary at first but, since I had read the speech so many times at that point, it wasn’t that bad.”

A Barker Branch Youth of the Year recipient was awarded the regional honor and will continue on to the state competition. As for Ervin, though, she said she was honored just being a part of the process.

“We all became close, working together for such a long time on this,” she explained.

“When we found out she won, we were all just happy for her at that point.”

When Ervin was informed she was the local branch’s Youth of the Year, she said she was very excited.

“My family was really excited, too,” Ervin said, giving a light laugh.

“They were glad to see my 12 years here had paid off.”

Ervin began attending the local branch when she entered kindergarten.

“I’ve never really ever wanted to stop going here,” she explained.

“It’s fun all the way through.”

Ervin volunteered on the youth side of the club, assisting with younger members for three years. As a freshman, she applied for a junior staff position and moved up in the ranks, earning more responsibility and her first paying job in the process.

“I think that the most important thing I’ve learned here is that you should really stand up for what you believe in,” Ervin said.

“Be a leader, step up and don’t back down for anything.”

Ervin said it’s this type of motivation she hopes she is passing along to the kids she works with.

“I hope they see that what others think of them isn’t relevant,” she said.

“What matters is what you think of yourself and that you don’t limit yourself to someone else’s idea of what you can do.”

Around town, Ervin is also involved with her youth group at Christ’s Church and now holds down a job in Rio Verde as well as going to school. In the summer months, she plans to return to additional work with the Boys & Girls Club.

When she graduates, Ervin hopes to attend Northern Arizona University to major in communications en route to a career with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale in the administrative offices.

“Eventually, I’d like to go on and work for Boys & Girls Clubs of America so I can help out in an even larger way,” she explained.

After her time with the club and being named the 2014 Youth of the Year, Ervin said she has learned many public speaking skills, as well as how “one love for something can bring people from different backgrounds together.”

She said that’s been the aspect of the club that’s kept her coming back for more all of these years.

“This club is smaller than a lot of the other ones in the area, so you really get a chance to work one on one with a lot of the staff members,” she said.

“Growing up, I really got to have so many of them inspire me in various ways. We’re more like a family here. I love that.”