LaQuita Grinnage
LaQuita Grinnage, St. Joan Antida High School Boys & Girls Club
2008-2009 Northwestern Mutual Youth of the Year, State of Wisconsin Youth of the Year, Midwestern Region Youth of the Year
“Boys & Girls Clubs has had a huge impact on my life, especially considering that I wasn’t interested in attending in the beginning,” says LaQuita Grinnage.
LaQuita started coming to the Don & Sallie Davis Boys & Girls Club seven years ago. Her mom needed a place for LaQuita and three of her siblings to go after school. However, LaQuita had a negative attitude about the entire place. She often sat alone on the bleachers, isolating herself from other Club members. Slowly, however, LaQuita became involved in Club activities: first with jump-roping and volleyball, and later with Torch and Keystone Clubs, which promote leadership and community service to members.
It wasn’t until she became active with Sista Pride that LaQuita truly started to shine. A founding member, she helped create and organize new Sista Pride events and programs. She also became a teen facilitator for Sista Pride in 2007. Many younger girls started to look up to LaQuita due to her attitude and accomplishments.
Sista Pride also pushed LaQuita to be successful at school and in the community. She took honors courses and had a 4.0 GPA on her last report card. She volunteered at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, was a youth director at her church and spent time writing and sharing poetry. By all accounts, the next chapter of LaQuita’s story will be great. She is currently attending Tennessee State University, and hopes to become the first member of her family to graduate from college and eventually become a doctor.
IN LAQUITA'S OWN WORDS
If I would describe myself in one word it would be: extraordinary
My favorite musical artist is: India Arie
My favorite memory from my time at the Club is: when a group of girls and I created a dance team and had our first performance at halftime for the boys’ basketball team
The person who most influenced me and why: Club staff member Ms. Natalie Cooper because she stood by my side from the first day she met me. Even when I was loud, disrespectful and had a bad attitude she never gave up on me.