Meeri Shin
Meeri Shin, 18, was selected as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Southeast Region Youth of the Year. As part of this national competition, Meeri will travel to Washington, D.C. on Sept. 15 to compete for the national Youth of the Year title, the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive.
Meeri will join five other regional winners in D.C. for a series of activities, including meetings with their senators and representatives, a dinner with celebrity Club alumni, including Denzel Washington, Misty Copeland and Shaun White, and a presentation to an esteemed judging panel.
Meeri first joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland – George Johnson Teen Center, at 11 years old. The Club has seen Meeri through a challenging time in her family. Meeri lives in a single parent home, where she and her mother care for her brother who has cerebral palsy. At the Club, Meeri flourished, serving as the president of Keystone Club, a teen group dedicated to leadership and community service, and a teacher for SMART Moves, a risk-prevention program.
She served as president of Keystone Club, a teen group dedicated to leadership and community service and assisted Club personnel as a Junior Staff member. As a teacher for SMART Moves, a risk-prevention program, she helped younger members learn to resist peer pressure and make the right decisions.
Meeri graduated with a 4.0 GPA and participated in 23 extra-curricular activities. She volunteered for numerous service events and serving as president of Key Club and Anchor Club, a worldwide service organization. She completed 512 community service hours over the past 12 months.
Meeri said, "The Boys & Girls Club is my home. The Club has molded me into who I am today. The Club has strengthened my faith, promoted my well-being, and has been my constant pillar of support. Because of the Club, I know I have the tools to succeed.”
An aspiring neurologist, she will attend the University of California at Berkeley, where she plans to major in biology and political science. She plans to pursue a career in medicine to help others, inspired by her experience with her brother. (As the national sponsor of the Youth of the Year program, Tupperware Brands provides scholarships for the regional and national Youth of Year winners.)