Nandua Junior nominated for Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year

Noah Xavier Weeks will represent the Eastern Shore Boys & Girls Club in the Youth of the Year competition for Southeast Virginia clubs on March 23 at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center.

Weeks, a 17-year-old junior at Nandua High School, plays football and is an active member of the Eastern Shore Christian Center, where he plays drums for the Praise Worship team.

“I enjoy mentoring younger children,” said Weeks, as he prepared for the gala event later this month. “Not only have I had the opportunity to mentor younger children at church, but also at our local Head Start Program and at the Boys & Girls Club. Simply put, my time at the Boys & Girls Club as a participant and as a volunteer has truly allowed me to envision the future and imagine the possibilities.

“Currently, as a junior volunteer, my duties and responsibilities include planning daily activities for the students, providing help with the homework and serving as an outlet for the other kids to come to when they feel the need to talk to someone who understands about peer pressure.”

After graduation, Weeks plans to attend Eastern Shore Community College to major in business while obtaining an HVAC license as well as a real estate license.

Weeks added, “I have learned in life that we must remain humble and compassionate. Humility is what keeps us grounded and helps us to remember that the best is still yet to come. Compassion drives us to continue to have a servant’s heart. I am thankful to God for my loving and supportive family that continues to motivate me and inspire me to go the distance.”

Weeks spoke of his experience with the Boys & Girls Club, where he has been a member since kindergarten. “The club started as a safe place my parents brought me when they had to work late after school; however, this relationship has grown into a set of life lessons that I will carry with me forever. During my time at the club, I have developed more effective communication skills with my peers and adults.”

Weeks recalled the many activities with which he has been involved as a member of the Boys & Girls Club, including Camp Silver Beach and the Nature Conservancy Camp, where he was able to kayak, hike and enjoy other activities.

He said the community event that stood out for him was visiting a nursing home and providing the residents gift baskets. “It really felt good to volunteer time to the older adults. As I was doing this, I thought to myself that one of the older adults could have been my own grandma, and so that experience was very real to me.”