Teen’s come a long way, thanks to ‘second family’

Each year, the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii celebrates members who inspire others through their leadership, resilience and service to others with its Youth of the Year speech competition. For the next three weeks, we’ll share the stories of the top three finishers.

The child was sitting there with that very certain type of reserve, that most tell-tale kind of quiet.

Nobody else noticed, perhaps nobody else could, but Jaelyn Belarde knew she needed to reach out.

“I just went over, and the child told me that the parents had been yelling at each other that day,” Belarde said. “I could relate. I told the child that you don’t have to mind your parents in that situation, just mind yourself. Just focus on yourself and surround yourself with positive people and you’ll be able to see a bright future for yourself.

“Whenever I see that child, I just say, ‘Hey, you are worth it and you will succeed.’”

The exchange is testament to how far 17-year-old Belarde, a senior at Kauai High School, has come during her time with the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii’s Lihue Clubhouse.

Belarde was born and raised in Hanamaulu. Despite setting a good example of hard work for Belarde and her older brother, Belarde’s parents often clashed, and the volatility of their relationship made for a tense home environment, Belarde said.

“It wasn’t until I was in the fifth grade that I really realized how much they argued and how much it affected me,” she said. “I was shy, and it was hard for me to gain trust in other people. I didn’t feel like I had anyone I could depend on, even my friends. I felt very isolated.”

Four years ago Belarde learned that the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii in Lihue offered a dance program. Intrigued, she and a few friends investigated and found something that Belarde had never experienced before.

“The staff and volunteers were really helpful and energetic, and I felt like I could break out of my shell a little and just be myself,” Belarde said.

In time, Belarde said, the club became a “second family,” one that needed and valued what she had to offer.

Confidence growing, Belarde availed herself of other opportunities to stretch herself. At the club she took up basketball and flag football. In school she joined the Key Club and Kauai Leaders Against Suicide.

Belarde plans to attend Kauai Community College next year and eventually transfer to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to study psychology in hopes of one day working with at-risk youth.

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.