Graduation is Just the Start: How Club Kids Become Leaders with Support from Panda Cares
For millions of young people, Boys & Girls Clubs aren’t just places to go after school. They are where confidence takes shape and futures begin. Inside, Club kids become more than just “good students.” They discover who they are, what they care about, and how their education connects directly to the leaders they hope to become.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s longstanding partnership with Panda Cares plays a central role in opening doors to academic success and leadership for more students.
Through scholarships, programs, and opportunities, Panda Cares and Boys & Girls Clubs of America empower youth to graduate on time and grow into tomorrow’s leaders. In particular, the Panda Cares Scholars Program celebrates and supports outstanding graduating seniors in Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.
Meet some of our Panda Scholars recipients below along with Panda Express Club alumni to discover how Club graduates are powering America’s economic engine.
EnriqueFinding Purpose in the Classroom
At Boys & Girls Clubs, young people take ownership of their learning early on. With the guidance of mentors and access to academic support, they develop resilience, discipline and pride in their progress. That commitment shows up in the classroom: 4 out of 5 Club members earn mostly A’s and B’s, building habits that prepare them for life beyond school.
Through Panda Cares Centers of Hope, learning spaces inside 150+ Clubs nationwide, students can get tutoring, hands-on learning tools, and a quiet place to focus. For many, these spaces become the first place they see themselves as leaders and scholars.
For Enrique, that belief unlocked a deeper sense of identity. After moving from the Dominican Republic to Florida at age 8, Enrique began to lose touch with his native Spanish and felt a strong desire to reconnect with it. He decided to work toward his dream of becoming an educator. Through his Boys & Girls Club’s Youth of the Year teen leadership program and the help of his mentors, Enrique created “Spanish 101,” engineering a full curriculum focused on teaching language and heritage to younger kids.
“I serve as a role model for kids like me,” Enrique says. “I am able to share my language, culture and passion to help build a foundation for their success. Thanks to supporters like Panda, I can keep creating an impact on my community.”
After graduation, he will attend the University of Florida to become a teacher, continuing the cycle of learning and leadership that began at his Club.
HoldenStepping into Leadership
Leadership at Boys & Girls Clubs isn’t theoretical; it’s hands-on. Through leadership programs, Club teens take on real-world projects, learning how to raise their voice, collaborate, manage finances, and plan events. These experiences equip young people with essential skills for first jobs while enabling them to make a difference in their communities.
Holden’s journey reflects that transformation. Through Club leadership programs, he gained the confidence to tackle challenges in his community, including food insecurity. He led peers in planning initiatives, managing resources, and ultimately traveling to Capitol Hill to present their work to U.S. senators through Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Days of Advocacy.
“As a leader, it is important to let others speak up and use their strengths,” says Holden. “A team that works best is full of ideas and different perspectives.”
With support from the Panda Cares scholarship, he will attend the University of Arkansas to study Organizational Management and Leadership. His long-term goal is ambitious — one day becoming CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America or another large organization — but it’s rooted in the leadership skills he began developing as a teenager at his Club.
“This scholarship will allow me to go to the college of my dreams without worrying about the financial barriers,” he says.
Opening the Door to Higher Education
AgrinAcross the country, Club seniors are taking their next steps with confidence with 81% applying for post-secondary education. The Panda Cares Scholarship acts as critical “seed funding,” allowing students to focus on academics rather than financial stress.
For Agrin, now attending UCLA and double majoring in International Development Studies and Political Science, that support made full engagement possible.
“Because of Panda Cares, I could focus on my academics and campus involvement,” Agrin says. “That foundation allowed me to truly bloom in higher education.”
Beberlyn, a Club alumna enrolled at Manhattanville University, echoes that impact.
“As a first-generation, first-year college student on a pre-med track, this scholarship has eased financial pressure, allowing me to direct all my focus on becoming a physician.”
BeberlynFrom Club Kids to Career Leader at Panda Express
For some, the impact of Boys & Girls Clubs comes full circle.
Rocio, now a Panda Express leader overseeing nine locations in Moreno Valley, California, credits her leadership style to her Club experience. She joined her Club in Oregon at age 10 with a quiet demeanor while learning English as a second language. There, she discovered a love of reading and writing and found a “second mom” in her mentor, Ms. Rose, who encouraged her academically and personally.
Today, Rocio describes herself as a “People Developer,” mentoring her own teams with the same care she once received. “The mentors at Boys & Girls Clubs can really help open doors for young people to discover what their future can be,” she says.
Similarly, Alexia, a manager of four Panda Express locations in Tucson, Arizona, traces her growth back to joining her Club at age 7 after moving from Mexico. Her introverted nature and the challenge of learning a new language made settling into her new home difficult, but she found support through the Club’s ESL program and the steady presence of her mentor, Ms. Perla.
“I’ll never forget her name or how accepted she made me feel,” Alexia says. That sense of belonging now shapes how Alexia leads and supports her Panda Express teams.
Powering What Comes Next
Today’s students are tomorrow’s educators, healthcare professionals, executives, and community leaders. Young people like Enrique, Holden, Agrin and Beberlyn are already building the skills and confidence to lead well.
Through academic support, leadership programs, scholarships, and Panda Cares Centers of Hope, Panda Cares and Boys & Girls Clubs support young people at every stage, ensuring they graduate prepared, empowered and ready to shape the future they imagine.
Panda Needs Club Kids. Club Kids Need Panda. And Club Kids Need You.
The Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, has united with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to promote academic achievement among kids and teens nationwide. Driven by a global community of associates, Panda Cares has contributed more than $62M in funding and dedicated numerous volunteer hours to enhance the well-being and education of more than one million young people.
