Ricardo Ariza, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Creighton University and BGCM board member, will be honored at the 2011 Inclusive Communities Humanitarian Dinner on June 2, 2011. Inclusive Communities is a human relations organization confronting prejudice, bigotry and discrimination through educational programs that raise awareness, foster leadership and encourage advocacy for a just and inclusive society.

Ricardo is this year‟s recipient of the Otto Swanson Spirit of Service Award. This award was named for one of the early founders of the organization and is given to an individual or organization whose life or chosen field of work exemplifies the mission of Inclusive Communities. Ricardo’s dedication and commitment to the Omaha community, education, and the pursuit of peace and justice for everyone makes him more than worthy of this award.

Ricardo was very humbled and honored upon receiving word that he would be the recipient of the 2011 Otto Swanson Spirit of Service Award. He joins a prestigious list of people who have received this honor including Senator Brenda Council (1999), Councilman Ben gray (2001), and Creighton’s Father John P. Schlegel, S.J. (2003).

Please join us in congratulating Ricardo on this esteemed award – an extremely appropriate recognition of a man whose mantra is, “we are all one human family.”

It isn’t every day that a cliché so accurately depicts the landscape of my life. In the cliché “what a difference a year makes”, we gauge the growth of a person, not by unexplained phenomena or statistical irregularity, but by the simplest constant in human existence: time. In a matter of 365 days, the most basic element can drastically transform every aspect of our life.

Exactly 365 days ago, I was caught in the whirl-wind that is Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Youth of the Year.  My life was a mess of speeches, rehearsals, photos, pressure, pressure, pressure: this, all while trying to be a senior in high school. This was my life and at the time, it seemed to be too much for me to handle. Every week was a competition between Darrius Shaw “Texas Youth of the Year,” and normal, socially awkward Darrius. With every day, my limitations were pushed and I was left feeling defeated.

Then, the speeches came further in between, the cameras stopped flashing; when I was introduced, there were no stereos resonating in an auditorium filled with wide-eyed strangers and unfamiliar faces. I embraced it. However, what remained was the pressure: college student, BGC alum, NYU-student ambassador, role-model, poster boy. The difference?  A year of pressure, unnatural forces, the blistering inferno of expectation – it  all formed my skin to feel as hard as diamonds.  With that year, “what did not kill me, made me stronger”. Cliché as it might seem, the trials that tested me in this last year have made me more capacble of  conquering each new role bestowed upon me.

Growth is only a small aspect of exactly how much difference a year makes.  This summer I will be interning at Advanced Micro Devices in Austin, Texas. I will be working as an engineer tackling practical problems. I will be living my dream. 365 days ago, that was as close as I could ever fathom: dreaming. In a year, we have a capacity to completely change our circumstances, totally reconstruct the idea of fantastical, and absolutely redefine reality. The things that we endure, no matter how cliché they might be, mold us into the people we are to become. I am still growing; we are all still growing. But every day will bring us more wisdom, more strength and more opportunity. So make today the beginning of shaping your new life, so that in 365 days you may look back and say to yourself “what a difference a year makes.”

This story originally appeared on the In Their Words blog from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, featuring Youth of the Year finalists from across the country.

Already a second-semester freshman at Marquette University, I have learned that studying is a precious skill. It helps you understand the material better, it helps you focus on future grades and finally, it helps you determine your final score on exams.

In high school, studying never existed in my world. Everything came surprisingly easy. However at Marquette, the knowledge you learn has to be applied to assignments. I noticed that the curriculum established at Marquette forces you to retain information that is learned. Through studying,  I now know what is expected of me and what it takes to become an A student. Studying rescued me from my trial-and-error attempts on tests. It has become my best friend – especially during finals week.

I never valued the idea of studying until I came to Marquette. Yes, it takes up a plethora of time I that could otherwise be spent on fun, but I understand that it is all worth it in the end. I will continue to reach my goals and follow the pathway to success.

This story originally appeared on the In Their Words blog from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, featuring Youth of the Year finalists from across the country.

When kids fail in school, everyone loses. This is not a school or parent issue; this is a community issue. It affects our economy and the strength of our nation.

To understand some of the many challenges of our current public education system, view Waiting for “Superman,” a documentary which follows five young people as they try to find the best education available in their neighborhoods. While the film, directed by Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim, may not have all of the answers, we know that each of us can contribute to the solution.

Community-based organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs, can make a difference in the academic success of our children. Through programs that address education, healthy choices, character and leadership and more, Clubs can guide young people through the challenges they face in and out of school, while helping them to discover their interests and aspirations. Clubs are there for youth after the school bell rings, giving them options to learn, grow and develop into responsible adults.

Original post, written by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, appeared on the In Their Words blog.