What grade were you in when you started coming to Boys & Girls Club?
“I was in second grade. I really wanted to go because I was going to a daycare with a bunch of little kids, so I was happy to hang out with more kids my age. I had a bunch of friends in Boys & Girls Club already, so I wanted to be with them.”

What were you like as a little kid?
“I was kind of in the middle. I wasn’t really shy, I’ve never really been shy. I was super into sports, just like I am now. I was the same as I am now, just a little more mature.”

Who was your first friend from Boys & Girls Club?
“Probably Avion, be he is a little different because I’ve been playing basketball with him forever.”

Why did your Mom want you to go to Boys & Girls Club?
“I know Boys & Girls Club was a little cheaper and I could go straight there from school. When I was in daycare, I had to leave school five minutes early every day to get to the bus that took me to daycare.”

Since you are in eighth grade, you could go home by yourself if you wanted to…?
“Technically, yeah, I could.”

… why do you choose to come to Boys & Girls Club instead?
“There’s a lot more stuff to do at Boys & Girls Club instead of just staying at home and doing nothing until my mom gets home. Being able to get my homework done is pretty big. That, and, being able to talk to people and be social. I can be active instead going home and sitting on the couch for an extra two or three hours. A lot of the people that I hang out with at BGC also go to South, but there are other friends that I wouldn’t see at all if I didn’t come to the Club.”

You mentioned that your mom works hard as a transportation planner in Topeka. How does your mom feel about having Boys & Girls Club help?
“She’s always the Mama Bear type. I know she’s glad I’m here instead of just being at home. If I was at home, I’d just be on the couch. Here, I’m eating what they serve me, socializing with my friends and playing basketball even more than I already do. Plus, it’s a better situation because I can also come here and do my homework.”

Being an only child – what is your relationship like with your mom?
“We are super tight. We have to be like that. If you get in a bunch of fights with your mom and you’re the only one there… it’s not fun. You have to be able to communicate and be there for each other.”

Do you ever wonder what would happen if you stopped coming here after school?
“I’d just be bored. I don’t have any brothers and sisters, so I’d just be home doing nothing and being on my phone.”

How many basketball shots have you taken at Boys & Girls Club?
“On this court? Oh my goodness. Hmmm. This is my third year here. We played A LOT of basketball in sixth grade, but I didn’t take as many shots because, you know, I was a sixth grader. Hmmm… I’d say 50,000 shots. Easily. I was in the gym every single day in the summer, except for Fridays. That’s not even including school basketball or anything, that’s just at BGC. If I pass by here again after the new place opens, I’ll remember it, ‘There was the old basketball court. There’s the old gazebo. It’s going to be crazy.’”

What’s a Club activity that you thought would be lame – but ended up being a lot of fun?
“I’d say that about pretty much every art project we do, even though they usually turn out ok. Cooking, too. I didn’t love to cook, but I like to eat. A lot of the stuff we make, I wouldn’t really pick to cook. Once they had us make chicken alfredo and I remember thinking, ‘Uh, i would never cook that,’ but it was really good!”