The Malibu Boys and Girls Club announced Malibu High senior Brianna Galeas its youth of the year for 2017.
The announcement came as no surprise to The Malibu Times, as Galeas was the recipient of a 2015 Youth Dolphin Award. Many of the attributes that combined to make Galeas a candidate for a Dolphin also made her stand out among her peers at the Boys and Girls Club — in addition to being a club member since she was in sixth grade, Galeas has earned more than 300 community service hours, is current Leaders in Training president and went on a 2015 trip to Hawaii with the organization to help rebuild a B&GC location destroyed by a storm.
“The club helped me see that I should not fear the future but look forward to and be positive about it,” Galeas said in a statement provided by the Malibu B&GC. “The club has always believed in me and, more importantly, helped me believe in myself.”
The youth of the year award is part of a scholarship program that will help Galeas as she prepares to attend one of the nine universities she has applied to for the fall.
The Malibu Boys and Girls Club also awarded MHS senior Ariana Farrahi to the newly formed advocacy post, the Youth Ambassador for Wellness. Farrahi, who herself benefitted from the resources of the B&GC, is a strong believer in young adults finding strength through healing, especially at the Boys and Girls Club.
Farrahi was quoted by the Boys and Girls Club giving the following vision for the future of American youth: “For all youth who are struggling with a loss, trauma, identity, anything, to have access to therapeutic and counseling services. The BGCM is the perfect place to provide these healing services that instill confidence, hope and an extra layer of support for youth.” Farrahi also received a scholarship to attend college in the fall.
