Jersey City teen Trinity Campbell, 16, was named the 2022 New Jersey Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club in New Jersey and Boys & Girls Club of America this past May.
Before being named the NJ Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club, Trinity Campbell faced a lot of adversity. The 16-year-old Snyder High School student faced homelessness when she was 12 and 13 years old along with bullying. But becoming a part of the Boys & Girls of Hudson County changed that. Now, after much hard work and dedication, Campbell was named NJ Youth of the Year this past May.
“This was something I never thought I would accomplish,” said Campbell. “Now I can look back on this and say ‘I did it. That’s something I did.’”
In becoming the NJ Youth of the Year, Campbell had to write three essays and build a speech. Her speech ended with this paragraph: “I want my life to mean something. I want to be the best version of myself. I want to be able to give back to the Boys & Girls Club and to other youth so much of what was given to me. I was homeless. But today, I’m Trinity, a strong, resilient young woman.”
While she was homeless, Campbell was bullied by other kids for not having fancy clothing like other kids and she was often called names. Moving from one place to another each day, there were times when she had to wear the same clothes to school for days and there was a period where she missed school for a considerable amount of time.
“That really affected my learning and social skills,” said Campbell. “I remember days of walking great distances to get to school and wondering where I was going to sleep. There were times where I just felt like I wouldn’t amount to anything.”
After being put into foster care, Campbell was introduced to the Boys & Girls Club which she has been a part of for four years. It was a big adjustment for her at first as she was very shy from the bullying she faced. After some time, she learned to redevelop her social skills and make friends.
She’s participated in the club’s art and music programs, even performing with the club choir. With a passion for art, she was named a Northeast Region Winner in Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Fine Arts Contest in 2021. She maintains a 3.2 GPA while also assisting younger members of the club.
“We are incredibly proud of Trinity and all the Youth of the Year nominees,” said Susan Haspel, state director of Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey. “Being named NJ Youth of the Year is a lifelong honor. As the New Jersey Youth of the Year, Trinity will serve as a spokesperson for Boys & Girls Club kids and teens across the state as a role model that they can admire and emulate.”
Campbell has participated many of the club’s programs such as SMART Girls, Money Matters, and UPS Road Code. She is also a part of the Club’s college career readiness program and a star in the Club’s Teen Tech Center where she teaches other members how to use the Wacom drawing tablet, record vocals in the music studio, and collaborates on graphic design.
She wants to be a fashion designer and says that the programs from the Boys & Girls Club that have had the biggest impact on her were the Power Hour, which helped her maintain her high grades, and SMART Girls, in which she was able to learn how to become more independent and confident. She plans to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
“If you have a passion, go for it,” she says. “Don’t let anyone or anything get in the way. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Campbell will join other state winners to vie for the Northeast regional title on June 23. If named the regional winner, she will be awarded an additional $20,000 college scholarship. Six of the youth, including five regional winners and a military youth winner, will advance to the National Youth of the Year event in Los Angeles in October 2022, to compete for the title of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year will receive an additional scholarship of $50,000 and a new Toyota Corolla.
The Youth of the Year program was founded in 1947 to recognize contributions to a member’s family, school, community, and Boys & Girls Club. The Youth of the Year program is supported by Toyota and Mondelēz- International. More information about the Youth of the Year program can be found at www.youthoftheyear.org.
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