Adrian Reaves didn’t have anywhere to go when his family moved to Atlantic City a decade ago.“I could either go home or hang around in the streets,” he said.That’s when his stepbrothers registered him at the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City.Now, the 18-year-old is the group’s Youth of the Year.“We could not be more proud of the man Adrian has grown up to be,” said Stephanie Koch, the club’s chief executive officer. “He is a true reflection of hope in Atlantic City and we are incredibly grateful that he wears our BGCAC badge of honor as Youth of the Year.”Reaves said the club helped him stay motivated through the Youth of the Year program, helping him and attain volunteer hours and “simply by placing me in programs that kept my mind focused on a better future.He remembered being registered when he was 8 years old with Tracy Parker, who he said wound up being the mentor to have the biggest impact on him.“From the time I started attending BGCAC, she always kept me close and showed me a smarter way to do things, while putting me in an environment of people who also strived for a better future,” he said.Koch remembered the first time she met Reaves.“(I) was greeted with a grand smile and a firm handshake,” she said. “He quickly told me, that he had a plan for after graduation. I could see his hopes and dreams becoming reality as he spoke.”Now that the time has come, Reaves still has a decision to make.He wants to further his education in the automotive trade, he said.He was accepted to the Automotive Training Center, but isn’t sure after the current pandemic.Instead, he is leaning more toward the Air Force, he said.No matter what, the his old club has faith in him.“Adrian will be successful, regardless of the path he chooses,” Koch said.
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