Called to Care: Nianti Leads with Compassion for Kids

When I was seven years old, I first walked into my Boys & Girls Club and was treated like family. When I was 14, my parents divorced, and I realized how much I needed that family.

At home, late nights were filled with tossing and turning, wondering why everything was being torn apart. I lost focus in school and got my first B, losing my three-year streak of having a 4.0 GPA.

I felt like all my hard work was unraveling. However, it was in those challenging times that Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County provided me with what I needed to succeed.

A Support System that Never Faltered

When my parents divorced in eighth grade, I tried to convince myself that nothing would change. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Family outings continued, but more of them ended in fights. I became the mediator, deescalating tension between my parents and my brother. For the next few years, my new “normal” set in: doing my homework on time, participating in extracurriculars, and taking care of the house while my family fell apart.

What I could depend on was the Boys & Girls Club. It was there for me when my family first moved to town and came through again as a support system that never faltered.

On my first day at the Club’s Teen Center, I was greeted by Sarah, a staff member, who complimented my outfit — a small gesture to her that meant a huge deal to me.

From then on, Sarah saw my determination to succeed and protected it. She reminded me to focus on what I could control, like school, and motivated me to keep chasing my dreams despite what was going on at home. On hard days, she reminded me of the good ones ahead. On happy days, she was the first to look at me with pride and remind me of my accomplishments.

Sarah wasn’t my only champion at the Club. The front desk staff brought a smile to my face every time I walked in. They always encouraged me to echarle ganas, which in Spanish means to keep up my effort — even when it felt impossible.

Even if I wavered, I knew my Club would be there for me, and that gave me the stability I needed.

Their support became part of my daily life but, most importantly, they gave me a sense of belonging that empowered me to pursue my goals.

A Calling to Care: My Path to Pediatrics

The support I received at the Boys & Girls Club over ten years ignited my love for working with kids. I tutored younger ones in my Club’s literacy program and taught 9- and 10-year-olds to dance in our Grupo Folklorico.

In high school, I interned at a local family clinic and volunteered at the community hospital, which opened my eyes to the barriers my community faces in accessing healthcare. I saw the relief on patients’ faces when they met a Spanish-speaking practitioner who could guide them through an unfamiliar system. I felt the joy of comforting a crying child with something as simple as a teddy bear.

Each moment confirmed my calling: pediatric care. I wouldn’t have discovered it without my Club’s constant encouragement to push forward, stay strong in school, and explore career paths.

My family roots taught me to always help others. But it’s because of my chosen family — my Boys & Girls Club — that set me on the path to care for others as a career.

My Club’s belief in me helped me regain my top academic standing. I graduated with a 4.4 GPA and was accepted into some of California’s top universities, on my way to becoming a pediatrician. One day, I hope to return to my community to provide accessible healthcare and show more children that success is always possible, no matter what obstacles you have to overcome.

What Being a Club Kid Means to Me

Once a Club kid, always a Club kid. When I was younger, I didn’t fully understand that idea. How can one place stay with you forever? But looking back after graduation, I now realize what it means: my Club is the village that helped raise me.

From the friends I laughed with during my worst moments, to mentors like Sarah, who taught me patience and perspective; my Club empowered me from everywhere.

For the rest of my life, I’ll notice all the positive ways I’ve grown from the years at my Boys & Girls Club.

I am confident, eager and hardworking. I have love for my community. Most importantly, I have my chosen family; one that will continue to uplift me towards my own great future.

That’s what it means to be a Club kid.