Stepping Out to Lead 

When you’re 6’4” with fiery red hair, you are born to stand out. And that’s exactly what 16-year-old Shaun Travers told an audience of more than 100 guests at the 2023 San Diego County Youth of the Year Celebration. 

The event, presented by Cox Communications and hosted by Thermo Fisher Scientific, celebrated the achievements of the region’s top youth last month where Shaun was one of four finalists. 

“It’s the experiences at the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos that have truly given me the opportunity to lead,” said Shaun. 

For Shaun, that passion for service and leadership, was nurtured early on at Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos. Shaun joined the Club as a kindergarten student when his mother needed a safe place for him to be after school as she worked. Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos proved to be the perfect solution — and the place where Shaun would eventually consider the Club his second home. 

“The Club is a place where I feel safe and included,” said Shaun. “No matter what’s going on in my life, when I’m here, I always feel better, act better, and strive to be a better person.” 

Shaun attended La Mirada Academy and was a member of the on-campus after-school program. There, Shaun was able to explore a wide range of activities, many of which sparked new passions and hobbies. Time and time again, Shaun would naturally gravitate toward leadership roles within the specialty clubs. In middle school, it all clicked when Shaun joined the Torch Club and Leaders in Training, Boys & Girls Clubs’ signature civic engagement and leadership development programs. These programs presented Shaun with the opportunity to serve as the club president and complete over 300 volunteer hours by the end of middle school, earning the teen the title of Junior Youth of the Year for La Mirada Academy. 

“Shaun is a shining example of someone who gives so willingly from the heart,” said Stanley Fa’asua, Site Director for BGCSM’s afterschool program at La Mirada Academy. “Even now, years after leaving my program, Shaun continues to volunteer and spend time coming to give back to younger members.” 

Shaun’s favorite service projects have been building care packages for the homeless, fundraising for disaster relief, leading outreach for COVID-19 vaccine education, and serving free meals to the community. The moment that stands out the most for Shaun was last year when the teen helped establish and outfit a state-of-the-art music studio in the Club’s Best Buy Teen Tech Center powered by Sony. That experience has helped fuel a passion for sound and lighting engineering, a field Shaun hopes to study in college. 

Leading by example matters to Shaun. The 16-year-old junior at San Marcos High School still logs hundreds of service hours each year while balancing the demands of school, a part time job, and volunteer commitments at church. This summer, Shaun will represent the Club – as one of two standout youth leaders – on a two-week service trip to Alaska. 

“Shaun exemplifies what it means to be a Boys & Girls Club kid,” said Cathy Baur, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos. “The Club strives to empower, motivate, and inspire youth to be the best version of themselves, and we are proud of the amazing leadership Shaun continues to show every day at the Club.”