At her core, Addison R. is a Club Kid. But, where that Club has been a bit of a bounce around for the eighth grader, running for Youth of the Year this year. From Reno, to Fallon, to Sparks, to Fernley, and now Dayton, Addison has always found herself at the Club.
Now a member of her Boys & Girls Club in Dayton for three years, Addison has always found a way to make herself better, taking advantage of what her clubhouse and its staff have to offer. That’s especially true for her schooling.
“We have Power Hour,” Addison said. “Which has been so helpful. Before, I’d go home and do my chores and then – sometimes – I’d do homework. There’s a lot of distractions.”
When Addison transitioned from elementary to middle school several years ago, she didn’t really know what was happening. All of a sudden, missing assignments had a big impact on her grades. She was nervous to ask for help when she didn’t understand something and would just sit there. She struggled to pay attention, and if she misplaced a piece of schoolwork, it just didn’t get turned in. Through her Club and Power Hour, she’s now been empowered to ask for help, ask for a second chance and seek out the assistance she needs. In the middle of her seventh-grade year, her grades began to jump thanks to her support system and new-found confidence.
Addison also credits the Club, which she attends with her two younger brothers, for helping her self-control, becoming a more socially aware and responsible young person.
“My actions have improved,” Addison said. “I have become more patient. I don’t act so immature because I know there are little kids that look up to the older kids and will copy us.”
Those little eyes looking up at the older members is one of the reasons Addison joined her clubhouse’s Torch Club, a youth service and leadership club for middle schoolers. There, she helps lead safety and wellness efforts, looking out for all members and bringing concerns to staff. She’s volunteered at the local food bank in the nursery and garden, played a role in putting together the organization’s first-ever Safety Day, and even goes around the community to hang up flyers and spread the word about her Club.
“If someone walks up to me and asks what the Boys & Girls Club is, I tell them it’s a place where younger and older kids can discover themselves, a place where creativity is welcome with encouraging values. It’s a place to escape.”
When she’s not at the Club, Addison stays very active. Racing dirt bikes, competing on her school’s track and basketball teams and hanging out with her friends all top the list. Addison competes in the 200- and 400-meter dashes and does the long jump. She’s also the point guard for her school’s basketball team.
Addison will be one of four teens competing for the title of Youth of the Year at Boys & Girls Clubs of Mason Valley’s annual banquet on February 21, 2026 in Yerington.