Oprah, Smart Girls Photoshoot

We recently caught up with one Club member, Oprah, who attends the Murraygate Village Boys & Girls Club location. At 15 years old, she’s been a part of the BGCGW family for 8 years already, forging special friendships and key mentorship opportunities that she has described as invaluable.

Catch our full discussion below:


Oprah, how would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Intelligent, determined, and optimistic.

 

Nice! What brought you to the Murraygate Village Club?
Friends in my neighborhood always seemed to enjoy their time there, and I was interested in the activities as well.  There always seemed to be something fun happening, they were welcoming and I wanted to be a part of that.


That’s awesome. How do you think the Club has positively impacted you?
Being at BGCGW has helped to build my confidence and self-esteem as I’ve grown older and matured. It has also served as a second home for me, a safe and fun place I can always count on. I’m a member of a group called Smart Girls that focuses on fitness and mentorship for young women, we recently had a fun photo shoot with this crown. I am also in Keystone, a group that teaches us leadership skills and academic excellence, Career Launch which helps prepare us for adulthood and Teen Talk where we can discuss issues related to teen challenges and being our best.


What is your favorite BGCGW memory?
I really enjoyed performing at the National Youth of the Year event in Washington, D.C. a few years ago.  It was an opportunity to perform in front of several hundred attendees and I also got to hang out with some of my favorite performers, including singer Estelle, actor Nick Cannon, and singer Kelly Rowland.


What are some of your goals for the future? Has being a Club member helped to support those goals?
I would like to attend the University of Virginia, major in Business and minor in Criminal Justice. Eventually, I would like to launch my own law firm after gaining work experience.  The Club has definitely helped support my goals by introducing me and my peers to professionals working in various fields.

We have been on countless field trips where I’ve met CEOs, Board Members, and public figures that we can learn from first-hand. There is also a program called Career Launch, where professionals from different business fields come in to share information and tips with teens each Wednesday. This is one way for us to learn about the career and education options we have for life after high school.


What is something that you want other BGCGW members to know about your experience at Murraygate Village?
Murraygate Boys & Girls Club has always been a great and fun experience I can rely on. Sometimes because we are a smaller club I think it’s easy for people to think that it doesn’t make a major impact. For me, the last 8 years with BGCGW have been very memorable and life-changing.