Nicholas Gordon grew up in Oakland, California with his three brothers and his parents, Lori and Larry Gordon who have always stressed the importance of education. Nick is currently a senior at Oakland Technical High, where he maintains a 3.2 GPA in the College Prep Honors classes. His teachers describe him as an "integral part of' and "leader in" the Tech community. In addition to staying on top of his challenging course load, Nick is involved in several extra curricular activities but is most proud to be a Senior Mentor. As such, he is placed with a freshman who is struggling academically and/or socially. According to Nick, "high school can be very overwhelming. I'm glad to have the opportunity to try to help a fellow student stay on track and make it through high school."

Nick lives in Western Oakland where crime and drug use is commonplace. Understanding the temptations of the streets, Nick looks within and to positive role models in his family, his church, his school and his Boys & Girls Club. He has been a student­-member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland's (BGCO) Leonard J. Meltzer Branch for five years. At the Clubhouse, Nick serves as a member of the Keystone Club, BGCO's primary leadership development program for teens. He also serves on the Junior Staff, with responsibilities in both the Social Recreation and the Teen Center departments. In the Teen Center, he often fills a "Big Brother" role, providing advice to the younger teens on the importance of education. It's a role he's very comfortable with, having served as a role model for his two younger brothers.

This fall Nick will attend Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio where he plans to major in music and psychology with the ultimate goal of providing counseling services to low-income families. BGCO proudly congratulates Nicholas Gordon for his many achievements and for being a great student and model Club member.

The Youth of the Year program, sponsored by The Reader's Digest Foundation, is in its 60th year. The program recognizes outstanding contributions to a member's family, school, community, and Boys & Girls Club, academic excellence, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome. The Reader's Digest Foundation awards each state finalist a $1,000 college scholarship and each regional finalist a $5,000 college scholarship. The five regional finalists compete for the title of National Youth of the Year and an opportunity to earn an additional $10,000 college scholarship. National Youth of the Year are installed by the President of the United States during a ceremony in the Oval Office each fall.