Essence has been a Boys & Girls Club member for 10 years.  Essence is currently a Junior at Lincoln Park Academy.  Essence enjoys music, helping other, and dreaming of future business ventures.  Essence wishes to attend college where she will pursue her degree in nursing and music so that she may one day be her own boss!

Essence believes that mental health awareness should be a more prominent strategy in helping communities heal.  Essences states, “It is a privilege to be diagnosed with major depression and go to therapy, many people do not have the access to that.”  She encourages her peers to speak to somebody else if they are feeling overwhelmed and create an action plan or goals for themselves.  Essence wishes to be selected as Youth of the Year so that she may have a stronger voice in her community for her peers. 

“Being at the Boys & Girls Club exposed me to opportunities that I did not know I could experience like; free college tours, leadership programs like Get TUF, B.O.O.M., and Keystone, scholarship opportunities, and so much more.  Being at the Club helped me to become more reliable, helped me to manage my clinical depression, and made me more responsible.  If it was not for the Boys & Girls Clubs, I am not sure I would have made it through my darkest times.”         –Essence Thompson

Please congratulate Essence, our 2021 Percy Peek Youth of the Year!