Meet Ryder, a member of the year with a passion for learning

Ryder, a 7-year-old member at Boys & Girls Clubs of Mason Valley’s Yerington clubhouse, loves learning.

“The first day he came to the Club, he walked right up to me,” said Teri Trout, who runs the education room. “He said, ‘Are you Ms. Teri? I have homework.’”

He immediately found his home in the Club. Ryder heads to the education room every day after school to get his homework done. If he doesn’t have homework, he grabs a book. Anything he can do to learn more, Ryder will tackle.

Ryder's enthusiasm for learning is evident in his love for reading. When asked about his favorite book, he excitedly shares, “I love to read. My favorite book? I have two: Green Eggs and Ham and Fox in Socks.” His fondness for Dr. Seuss’s books reflects his passion for reading. 

When Ryder first joined, he faced challenges with his homework and reading. However, with the dedicated support of staff like Ms. Teri and the Club’s volunteers, his learning and love for reading have soared. Now, he approaches his work with determination, never leaving a project, book, or worksheet unfinished. The opportunity to earn Be Bucks for the Club store serves as an extra motivator for this first grader at Yerington Elementary School. His favorite part of the school day is when his teacher, Ms. Gutierrez, teaches science and math.

Past his love for learning, Ryder is just a pleasure to have at the Club for both staff and his fellow members.

“Ryder’s just a great kid,” said Trout. “He always asks how my day is and is such a happy little boy. He genuinely loves coming to the Club.”

That daily cheeriness spreads to other members, too. One of Ryder’s now-close friends, Gage, had taken a break from coming to the Club for a while. Now, back almost daily, Ryder has helped welcome him back, sharing his love of reading and challenging him to play Scrabble games.

Ryder’s also a creative young man. He loves doing art in the education room and is very meticulous with his projects. He knows the more time he spends on something, the better the end result will be. There’s no need to rush. Finding rocks and breaking them open to see what lies inside is a hobby of his, as is going to work with his dad, Sonny. Sonny, as Ryder puts it, “builds stuff,” and Ryder gets to be his assistant, handing him the tools and equipment he needs on the job.

The gym is another favorite spot for this year’s Yerington Member of the Year, where he gets to play soccer and basketball.