Meet Crystal, a STEM Mentor in the Making

When I first came to the Boys & Girls Club, I was carrying the weight of trying to be everything to everyone: the perfect student, teammate, friend. In the process, I had started to lose sight of myself.

The Club helped me find my spark again.

It came from new friends and mentors. It came from exploring my passions. Most of all, it came from becoming a leader and mentor to younger kids.

These experiences changed how I define success. Today, I’m motivated by purpose, not perfection. Because of my time at the Club, I know exactly how I want my future to look: helping more children learn, grow and thrive.

Helping STEM “Click” for Kids

I joined the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton the summer before middle school. I was eager to move past pandemic virtual learning and spend more time with kids my age. Not only did I make new friends; I started to see myself as a leader capable of inspiring the next generation.

Growing up with scientist parents, STEM was always around me. As freshmen, my friends and I knew we wanted to explore STEM careers, but we didn’t know where to begin. That’s why we started Ready, Set, STEM! — our own nonprofit dedicated to helping more students get excited about STEM.

It took us time to find the right direction for our work. Our first event invited STEM professionals to share what they do with high school students. In school, we learn chemistry, physics and math, but we don’t always hear about jobs that use those skills. Hearing from professionals gave us a better idea of what STEM jobs are really like and how we can start preparing for them.

From there, we decided the best way to engage more kids in STEM was to reach them earlier. The Club provided the perfect opportunity by allowing us to lead STEM activities after school for younger kids. Whether we’re building circuits or extracting a strawberry’s DNA, we’re showing kids how exciting STEM can be while introducing them to careers they might not have considered, from biology to astronautics.

I want every student to know the paths open to them and feel inspired to imagine a future in STEM.

I’ll never forget one seven-year-old’s amazement after our strawberry DNA experiment. When she realized science can be explored through everyday items, her eyes lit up with wonder. Moments like this inspire me to help more kids fall in love with science and where it can take them.

The Human Connections that Helped Me Grow

I’m very much an introvert, but two Club staffers, Jordan and Dawn, encouraged me to put myself out there and trust my voice. I also had opportunities to practice public speaking and interviewing, skills I wasn’t really learning in school.

I used to feel nervous in interviews, but after participating in the Youth of the Year program, I feel prepared for college admissions and future jobs.

The Club also helped me feel heard on bigger stages. During my time on Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth Advisory Council, I had the opportunity to speak at BGCA’s National Conference. There, I spoke to 2,000 people alongside Sinead Bovell about the ways teens use AI and how it may affect our future in the workforce.

Our generation doesn’t choose to accept AI; it’s part of how we’ve grown up. But many teens aren’t taught how to use AI responsibly, so we’re left to figure it out on our own.

AI can feel like the perfect mentor: always available, always validating. But it can never replace real human connection. When I talk to the adults at my Boys & Girls Club, they don’t just listen; they broaden my perspective and help me grow.

That’s why Clubs matter. They provide mentors you can trust and communities that help you thrive. I believe schools should teach AI safety and ethics, but when they can’t, Boys & Girls Clubs can help fill the gap by giving young people the guidance and skills we need for the future.

Experimenting for a Better Future

The more I teach kids STEM, the more interested I become in pursuing a career in neuroscience. Watching them learn just reinforces how capable I know they are.

When I’m older, I may not remember everything I learned in school, but I’ll always remember the person my Club inspired me to be: kind, understanding and determined to keep going.

You see, my Club didn’t just teach me to believe in myself — it taught me to believe in the power of young people. We don’t have to wait to become leaders. We can identify problems, create solutions and start building a better future now.