Building Brighter Futures

Every young person deserves the opportunity to discover what's possible. For many youth in Southwest Michigan, that journey begins with something simple: a safe place, caring mentors, and someone who believes in them.

At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Southwest Michigan, young people find all of those things and more. Through programs like Level Up Framework, they build confidence, develop life skills, explore career opportunities, and begin preparing for the future they want to create.

For LaToya Turner, Director of Life and Workforce Readiness, watching those transformations unfold has become one of the most rewarding parts of her nearly 12 years with the organization.

"A lot of our kids don't have as much confidence as you would think," she said. "They might feel unsure. So we focus on building off their strengths. We let them know what they're doing well, encourage them, and help them work on the things they need to grow."

That philosophy comes to life in the stories of two young women, Lovi and Mykia.

When Lovi first walked through the Club's doors at 12 years old, she hardly spoke to anyone. "I didn't really know anybody," she recalled. "I was shy. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to play. I just kept to myself."

Like many young people, confidence didn't come overnight. It grew one experience at a time. Lovi joined the dance team. She participated in Smart Girls. 

She met caring adults who encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone and peers who helped her feel like she belonged. Before long, the girl who once kept to herself found something she hadn't expected. "Everybody started learning my name, and I started knowing everybody," she said.

As her confidence grew, so did her vision for the future. Today, Lovi plans to attend Lake Michigan College before transferring to Michigan State University to pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian.

Looking back, she wishes she could reassure the younger version of herself. "Don't be shy. Make new friends. Stop thinking about what other people are going to think of you. Just do it."

Mykia's story began even earlier. She first came to the Boys & Girls Club when she was eight years old after spending much of her childhood at home. "I was always at home... just cooped up in the house, just bored," she said. What started as a visit with her aunt quickly became a second home. She found a welcoming environment where every young person was valued and where mentors encouraged her to discover her strengths.

"I was shy at first," Mykia said. "Miss Baker helped me a lot. She introduced me to more people and helped me become more social. Now I'm very outspoken."

Over the years, those lessons expanded far beyond confidence.

Through the Club's programs and supportive staff, Mykia learned responsibility, accountability, and workplace skills that prepared her for her first job. Those experiences helped shape not only who she is today, but also who she hopes to become.

Now preparing for her senior year of high school, 

Mykia plans to attend Lake Michigan College before pursuing her dream of becoming a pediatrician. Growing up as the oldest of four sisters inspired her love of caring for children, and today she sees opportunities that once felt out of reach. "I used to think you could only dream so big," she said. "Now I see the world is the limit."

For Turner, stories like Lovi's and Mykia's represent exactly why the work matters. "We focus on life skills, career exploration, leadership, and supportive relationships," she said. "It's not just about preparing young people for a career. It's about preparing them for life."

Some lessons happen during structured programs. Others happen in everyday conversations with trusted adults who help teens navigate challenges, celebrate successes, and learn from setbacks. Whether it's building confidence, developing accountability, exploring careers, or connecting youth with community resources, every interaction is an opportunity to help a young person move forward.

United Way's partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Southwest Michigan helps make those opportunities possible. Funding supports career exploration, workforce readiness, goal setting, mentoring, and life skills while ensuring young people have access to a safe, welcoming place where they can learn, grow, and belong.

"Those partnerships make it possible," Turner said. "You're investing in future leaders. Our future doctors. Our future lawyers. The opportunities are there because people choose to invest in them."

Today, Lovi dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Mykia dreams of becoming a pediatrician. Their paths are different, but they share something powerful: someone believed in them before they fully believed in themselves.

That belief, strengthened by caring mentors, meaningful opportunities, and a community willing to invest in its young people, is helping create brighter futures across Southwest Michigan.

Together, we're building a future where every young person has the confidence, skills, and support to discover what's possible.