How old were you when you started coming to Boys & Girls Club?
“I came to BGC when I was in second grade at Broken Arrow.”

Were you excited about it or not so much?
“I was kind of nervous. I had just moved here from Parsons, so I was scared about making new friends.”

Did Boys & Girls Club help you make new friends?
“Yes! It was easier for me to make friends in BGC than in regular school since Boys & Girls Club is a more relaxed place. A lot of people started coming up to me because I was the new kid at Broken Arrow, and I wasn’t used to it. They would ask me to do stuff with them.”

You have (adorable) siblings who also go to Boys & Girls Club. Are all of  them fans of BGC, too?
“Haha um, yeah, I have three brothers. It’s like a family thing for us. My brother is coming this year, so all of us will be in Boys & Girls Club.”

Who was your first friend from Boys & Girls Club?
“I really can’t remember, who my first friend was from when I started, but my best friend at the Teen Center is Jamareon. We hang out, have talks and we play sports. We can be competitive with each other. We met here at the Teen Center, he goes to West. We wouldn’t have met and become best friends if we didn’t go to the Boys & Girls Club.”

Why did your parents want you to go to Boys & Girls Club?
“My mom and dad had to work, and they didn’t know what to do with me. They didn’t want to hire a babysitter because my brothers and I mess up a lot, so they sent us to the Boys & Girls Club.”

Did your parents feel better about you guys being watched by all of our staff instead of one babysitter?
“Of course. We’d outnumber any babysitter. Plus, it helped that my parents knew that my brothers and I were in a safe place after school like BGC.”

How old are you? You could probably go home by yourself if you wanted to, right?
“I’m about to be 13, but I come here because I don’t like to be home with my brothers all the time. They ask me to do things while I’m trying to relax, so I just come here so I can hang out with my friends. When I go home I have to take care of everyone, but here I can do what I want to do.”

Are you in any fun clubs at the Teen Center?
“I’m in Zumba, it’s a dance fitness class that I decided to try out. My mom did it before so I wanted to try it. When I told her I was in it she said, ‘Congratulations.’”

What’s it like to be the big brother that all your little brothers come to for things they need?
“It’s motivational and, at the same time, annoying. It’s motivational because they look up to me and they follow my tracks so I have to be a good example for them, more than anyone else. But it’s nice to come here and not have to be that for anyone, I can just ask Ms. Amy or anyone for anything I need.”

Who is someone at the Teen Center who sets a good example for you?
“Ms. Amy. She directs everything, she knows the place and she’s really in control. She has a plan for everything. I’m not the kind of person that likes to have a set routine, so that’s a good example for me.”

Do you ever wonder what would happen if you stopped coming here after school?
“If I stopped coming here, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself at all. I’d probably just stand outside and try to make new friends, and I don’t want to have to do that again.”

What is something at the new Center for Great Futures that you are excited about?
“I heard there’s going to be a recording stereo where you can make nice beats, I’m pretty good at that. I liked the field trip we took to the KU studio and I got to rap in front of everyone.”

What is your favorite spot in the current Teen Center?
“The basketball court, because I really like to be competitive. I want to get better and eventually try out for the basketball team at my high school. I haven’t taken a lot of shots, I just like to pass the ball around. I’m excited to not have to play in the wind and cold at the new Teen Center.”

If anyone gave you a hard time about Boys & Girls Club being lame – what would you tell them?
“I would tell them to stop, that Boys & Girls Club is fun and walk away.”