The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley’s 2025–2026 Youth of the Year, Evangelina, has been named the Wisconsin State Youth of the Year! This is an extraordinary moment, as it marks the first state-level Youth of the Year win for both Evangelina and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley.
Evangelina competed alongside 14 Youth of the Year representatives from Boys & Girls Club organizations across the state. Evangelina also shared her powerful story on the floor of the Wisconsin State Assembly and met with Governor Evers and several local elected officials.
Evangelina’s dedication, talent, and unstoppable drive have inspired our organization and those within it for years. She’ll go on to represent Wisconsin at the Midwest Regional competition this June in Chicago.
Youth of the Year is a premier recognition program that honors young people who exemplify leadership, service, academic excellence, and healthy living. Candidates share their personal journeys, their vision for America’s youth, and how the Club has empowered them to find their voice and pursue success through mentorship and support from caring adults.
Learn About Evangelina
Evangelina’s been part of the Boys & Girls Club family since kindergarten and is the hero of her own story. She also proudly recognizes the role the Club has played in her journey.
When reflecting on the Club’s influence in her life, she shares:
“I’ve always loved the Club’s emphasis on creating driven leaders, and my experiences are nothing short of that… Being a triplet, my sisters and I have always wanted to be different from one another. One person who helped me discover my individuality was Miss Courtney, my STAR Coordinator at Einstein Middle School. She encouraged me to combine my two passions—activism and reading—into something new, which I found in writing.”
She is a passionate writer and activist committed to amplifying diversity and representation in the literary world. The author of three books, she aspires to become a New York Times best-selling author. In her speech at state, Evangelina spoke about the rejection she’s faced as she strives to get her books published. She is now working on her fourth novel.
She shares, “I love showing up for youth around the world, because rejection is part of everyone’s stories. We all crave support and representation—even if it is through the pages of a book—and I want my novels to do just that.”
