Boys & Girls Club Introduces New Junior Staff

Four Junior Staff members started work at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside in September. Junior Staff is a Club program that gives teenage members a chance for career development, apprenticeship, customer service and community service. Junior Staff work after school assisting staff members supervise and mentor younger club members, run activities and help with whatever else is needed. The new Junior staffers are Adrian Chavez, Karla Ponce and Stephanie Puente. It is the first job for all of them. To apply to be a Junior Staff member, teens must be in club programs like College Bound and Keystone Club, have good grades, and have volunteered at the club. They had to write an essay and submit a resume, and choose hours that worked with their schedules. He has been a club member for about five years, and appreciates that he gets help with schoolwork. He plays soccer and volleyball at school. Adrian Chavez, a junior at Redlands East Valley High School, said she applied because “I would like job experience so when I grow up and get more jobs, I can know what to do.” She is also grateful for the homework help she gets at the club, and “it’s a fun place to go.” She is a five-year club member and plays softball for her school. Karla Ponce, an Orangewood High School senior who’s attended the club since second grade, applied so she could use the job experience to apply for scholarships, and because “I had a good experience here with all the kids.” She said volunteering with the club’s Camp Einstein this past summer helped her see how the club runs. She plays softball at her school. REV junior Stephanie Puente said she knows “I’ll be learning a lot more things” and will get good work experience. She likes meeting new people, and is active in her school’s Spanish Club. “We’re glad we can offer young people an opportunity to prepare for their futures, especially if they choose a career in a helping profession,” said Club Vice President Mark Davis. “This isn’t just a job, it teaches them real-world career skills.”