Becoming a Leader at the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos

Inspiring leader. Community service superstar. Role model. San Marcos teen Ernie Montano can now claim one more title to compliment his extraordinary accomplishments thus far: 2022 San Diego County Youth of the Year.

“I felt super excited,” said Ernie Montano, 17, when he heard his name announced as Youth of the Year for San Diego County. Ernie, who has been a part of the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos for over 11 years, was selected to represent the organization as Youth of the Year last September and on March 8, 2022, he was named the San Diego County Youth of the Year. He will now go on to represent San Diego County in the California Youth of the Year competition in April.

Ernie first joined the Club in 2011 after his family moved to San Marcos from Salinas. His mother turned to the organization’s after school program to provide “the safe place she had been searching for” to help her children “with homework and to keep us off the streets,” Ernie said. Now a senior at Mission Hills High School, he has gone on to become a role model for his peers and younger members as part of the Club’s Leaders in Training (LIT) program and as a Jr. Staff Member during the summer.

Armando Lara, Director of Teen Services, praised Ernie for his time as a Jr. Staff member saying he “worked with kinder and first grade youth to provide impactful summer programming to combat learning loss. He instantly became a favorite of our elementary school members and was a huge support for our summer staff.”

As a role model Club member, Ernie continually sought out opportunities to serve those within his local community and beyond. “My passion for wanting to give back was fulfilled three summers ago when I went on a service-learning trip to Hawaii with other LIT groups,” said Ernie. In recognition of his dedication to service, Ernie was chosen to join members from several Boys & Girls Clubs across California to help renovate a fellow Boys & Girls Club’s outside playground area. Throughout his time as an LIT member, he has served meals and created care packages for people experiencing homelessness in his local community, as well as taken part in humanitarian & fundraising efforts for those affected by natural disasters.

“As an organization determined to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens, we could not be prouder of the exemplary leadership and kindhearted nature that Ernie has showcased over the 11 years that he has been a part of the Club,” said Cathy Baur, President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos.

Ernie hopes to use his platform as San Diego County Youth of the Year to advocate for a change in gender stigmas and societal norms that can negatively impact young adults and limit them from expressing themselves. He explained how the Boys & Girls Club has created an environment where “they care about you regardless of your identity and preference—" and this constant feedback gave him a push to truly be himself. A message Ernie hopes to pass along during his time as Youth of the Year is to not feel pressured by societal norms, explaining, “My hope for myself, as I continue to grow and take on new challenges, is that I can support others who may be struggling with the same fears, apprehensions, and labels that I once knew. I am grateful for my strong community of support and hope to be a part of other young people’s communities as they pursue their personal journeys.”

Ernie describes his experiences at the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos as a “great place for my siblings and I. Knowing that I am safe and that there are people who care about me, means the world to me…We love everything this place is and love everyone who is here,” he continued “It is like a second home and family to us.”

In the future, Ernie has his sights set on attending Palomar College next fall, transferring to a UC university and continuing his efforts of helping others through a career in dentistry.

Founded in 1979 at Woodland Park, the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos moved into its 16,000-square-foot main facility, the Jennifer Loscher Building on Positive Place, in 1995. A 6,500-square-foot Teen Center opened 10 years later. Today, the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos is serving nearly 1,000 youth daily throughout the city and is set to open an additional clubhouse in Summer of 2022.