Jenessa, Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County Teen member of 3 years, 406 Impact President, and Junior Staff, was recently presented with the 2024 Teen Member of the Year Award.

To be considered for recognition as the Montana Teen of the Year, the nominee must have exhibited leadership and service and will be judged on the following criteria:

• Significant contributions made to the Club(s) served and the community.
• Honors received from the local Club(s), Region, and National, or outside the Club Movement.

Although Jenessa has only been a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County for just three and a half years, the impact she has had on the Club community has been incredible. Jenessa has taken over the responsibility of managing The Teen Bean, the teen-ran coffee shop inside the Clubhouse. She manages inventory, requests supplies, trains new workers in several areas (drink making, customer service, money handling), and oversees the day-to-day operations when the shop is open and running. She has brought a new level of organization, cooperation, and professionalism to the business that has never been seen before and teen members love being a part of it. Because of Jenessa, other Teen members are learning career and life skills that are essential to being a functioning part of society. Her leadership with the Teen Bean is also generating significant funds that help send Keystone members to the national conference every year and help to keep our teen center updated with the latest technologies.

Jenessa has been a Keystone Club member for three years and was just elected by her peers to be the Keystone Club President. Now, she oversees weekly meetings, creates agendas for meetings, and holds members accountable to attend and be productive during their scheduled time. Jenessa also works alongside the Keystone Club advisors, ensuring that they are on track to reach Legacy Status as a Club. With her help, they achieved Gold Status two years in a row and are now aiming for new heights. She helps coordinate volunteer opportunities, create fundraising opportunities, and organize teen events to encourage teen engagement at the Club. Janessa is only a few months into her presidency, but she has already created a more structured and productive program. It is no doubt that the future looks bright with Jenessa at the wheel.

Through Keystone Club, Jenessa has made a considerable impact on her local community. She has participated in many volunteer events. She and other members have twice made hygiene kits to pass out to the local unhoused population. She participated in our local Trunk or Treats to ensure kids have a safe Halloween. Jenessa led the committee that oversaw our first and second annual Keystone dance, an event that allowed all teens, regardless of Club membership, to have a fun and safe place to go on a Friday night. Jenessa was also a driving force in our canned food drive last December and she and another Keystone member dropped off the donation to a local shelter for teens and adults.

As a sophomore, Jenessa applied to be a member of the National Honor Society and was accepted. This was a huge step for her. She had to have letters of recommendation, qualifying GPA, demonstrate leadership qualities, and community service hours to be considered. She also has been consistently on the Honor Roll. At Club, she was one of our first Bair Cub mentors at the Bair Family Clubhouse, which is a teen mentorship program. She worked one on one with a younger Club member to help them learn positive social skills and develop their problem solving. Jenessa also received Teen of the Month honors at Club before applying to become a junior staff.

Last December, Jenessa interviewed for a junior staff position at our Bair Family Clubhouse. Hiring her was an easy choice. Since then, Club staff have seen her grow into a more outspoken and positive leader. When she first joined Club, she was relatively shy and reserved, she has since become more involved and is no longer afraid to speak her mind and hold other members accountable. She helps them make safe and smart decisions while still creating meaningful and positive relationships.

Perhaps one of the most admiral qualities about Jenessa is that she never asks for recognition for the tasks she completes. She works hard and continues to be humble, even after achieving incredible things as a young person. Club members love spending time with Jenessa, and so do her fellow staff. Often, Jenessa is the first one to be asked to help in any situation, and she is usually springing into action without having to be prompted. She has truly become a staple in our Club community and is a positive role model for members, teens, and staff alike.