LIHU‘E — Tavia Rapozo, the Hawai‘i state Youth of the Year for the Boys &Girls Club, was busy helping with the food distribution, Wednesday morning, huddled against the chilly wet winds blowing over the crowd of food distributors and recipients at the Boys &Girls Club, Lihu‘e Clubhouse.
“She’s here early,” said Tina Albao, the Boys &Girls Club Kaua‘i director of operations and development. “Normally, she starts at 9 a.m. so it must be the food distribution that started at 9 a.m. She came in early to get ready for that distribution where we and the Hawai‘i Foodbank, Kaua‘i Branch, budgeted for 200 food packages.”
Rapozo juggled moving supplies, handing out food packages, and trying to accommodate fans’ congratulatory gestures of lei and well wishes after being announced the recipient of a $5,000 The Boys Bunch scholarship.
“I don’t get speechless very often,” Rapozo said. “But I was so shocked after being named, I literally didn’t have anything to say for more than a minute. We were at an all-staff zoom meeting — it was kind of like a retreat — and this Will Beaton guy was kind of moving toward me. I looked at Tina and she was moving back, and back. She must’ve known something.”
Albao said The Boys Bunch is a group of guys who meet regularly (every Tuesday) and talk about philanthropy and how to benefit local charities. This scholarship presented to Tavia is the first scholarship they distributed.
“I personally think they adopted the Boys &Girls Club,” Albao said. “They must like us, and we can hopefully grow this so other deserving young people can get help getting to college.”
Rapozo, who plans on attending the University of San Francisco in the fall, will be majoring in architecture and community design.
“Once I get my architecture degree, I’m also in the ROTC program and plan to join the military,” Rapozo said. “In the military, I plan on studying business and business administration so I can get a better understanding of business to do well with the company I’m planning on forming once I’m done with the military.”
Albao said in addition to the $5,000 Boys Bunch scholarship, Rapozo was also awarded $2,500 from the Boys &Girls Club of America for her work during the state competition level where she earned the Youth of the Year honor during a virtual competition. Rapozo is currently working toward regional Youth of the Year honors that will also take place on a virtual platform.
Source: The Garden Island