A four-year member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester in New York, Yamarie Negron is determined to make a difference. The product of a single-parent home, Yamarie cared for her sisters while their mother worked the night shift. She even got a job herself so she could help with the bills - all while maintaining a strong academic record in high school.

During her four years at the Club, Yamarie, now 18, served as a leader for younger members, participated in community service projects, and organized a youth symposium on domestic violence, which received an award from the Colgate Foundation.

Yamarie, who spoke only Spanish when she entered the first grade, is sensitive to the challenges facing many new immigrants, and volunteers her time with an after-school bilingual program. Now a freshman at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, Yamarie plans to become a child psychologist so she can help troubled teens.

"Participating at the Club and in its activities has impacted me in a remarkable way. My decision to become a member of the Boys & Girls Club was one of the most sound and intelligent choices I have ever made.

"Although I was always a well-mannered and educated child, growing up in the slums of Bridgeport, Connecticut, pressured me to become extremely short-tempered. At times you could have considered me selfish and self-centered, but the Boys & Girls Club has changed all that.

"My involvement with the Club not only became my second life; it also became my second home. A home where it is okay to be a kid and let go of adult-like responsibilities. Without the Boys & Girls Club staff and their guidance, I would not be where I am today."