When Tessa Kozlowski first started going to the Boys & Girls Club five years ago, the Tucsonan did so reluctantly.
She had been placed in a group home because her mother was mentally ill and unable to care for her, so she was required to go to the club for recreational activity.
Little did she know that her involvement in the club would lead years later to local and statewide recognition.
On Tuesday, the 17-year-old was named the Arizona Boys & Girls Club state youth of the year, which came with more than $2,000 in scholarship money.
After accepting the award at a ceremony in Phoenix, Kozlowski — a Tucson High Magnet School senior — said she owes who she has become to the club.
"I had a really rough time before, but when I'm at the club I know I'm safe and I can look to the staff to confide in them," she said. "I feel that the values and morals I have today were learned through the club, and I am honored to represent all of the clubs in Arizona."
People are also reading…
It was no easy task, though, she said. The application process involved writing a number of essays and presenting them to judges.
Kozlowski won the city competition and was awarded scholarships to Pima Community College and the University of Arizona, she said.
After that, she along with more than a dozen others competed for the title of state youth of the year, which she took on Tuesday. The prize was $2,800 in scholarships.
In July, Kozlowski will head to Disneyland for the regional competition, and the overall national winner will receive $15,000 in educational scholarships.
The winner will also be congratulated by the president at a White House ceremony.
Kozlowski plans on attending PCC and wants to become a police officer, she said. She plans on majoring in social work and minoring in criminal justice.
She was adopted last June and no longer lives in a group home, she said.
"I want to win deep down, but I'm really going for experience and to represent my club," Tessa said. "I'm very excited and happy. … I went from being in a group home to being on top of the world."
For more information on the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, go to www.bgctuc.org/index.html.
