Taylor Penny. Courtesy photo.
VENTURA COUNTY — Thanks to a full-tuition scholarship, Boys & Girls Clubs of Oxnard and Port Hueneme staff member Taylor Penny is going back to school to get a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
“This scholarship means so much to me,” said Taylor Penny. “Now I am able to begin my master’s degree without waiting to pay off my undergraduate student loan. The Boys & Girls Club has given me so much over the years. I will always be grateful to the BGCA and to the BGCOP.”
Penny, 23, has been working at BGCOP since 2009, throughout high school and during summers home from college. She is currently the Club’s Membership Coordinator. Penny recently graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a minor in communication. A long-time member of the Club, she was named BGCOP’s Youth of the Year, Area Council Youth of the Year and California Youth of the Year in 2010. In 2012, she received similar honors, becoming BGCOP’s Youth of the Year and the 2012 Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Coastal Area Youth of the Year. She graduated from Oxnard High School in 2012.
“Taylor has been a dedicated volunteer and clear leader ever since she first joined the Club at age ten, said Erin Antrim, chief executive officer, BGCOP. “She is the first in her family to attend college, and has overcome many barriers to get this far. We are all very proud of her.”
The University of Phoenix partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to provide full-tuition scholarships to complete an undergraduate or master’s degree to Boys & Girls Clubs staff, parents and alumni. In addition to programs designed to prepare America’s youth for college, the organizations’ partnership helps many adults pursue higher education goals. This year, 30 recipients received University of Phoenix scholarships.
“University of Phoenix shares one of our core beliefs—that education is foundational to achieving great futures,” said Dr. Damon Williams, chief educational and youth development officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “While we are pleased to work together year-round to help our youth thrive academically, today we celebrate the special moment when we can make higher education accessible to the adult members of our Boys & Girls Clubs family. From alumni to parents to staff, these deserving individuals will have the opportunity to pursue higher education goals and their own great future.”
University of Phoenix is dedicated to increasing access to education for underrepresented students who may not have a pathway in traditional educational structures. By addressing education and workforce needs in the communities it serves, University of Phoenix prepares its graduates for professional growth.
“Since its inception, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been a model for inspiring young people to reach their full potential, and it is a true honor to partner with an organization so dedicated to improving the community,” said Timothy P. Slottow, president of University of Phoenix. “The University cherishes the opportunity to provide career-relevant higher education for working adults who have shown such devotion to service and improving the lives of others.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme is a nonprofit 501© (3) youth service organization. BGCOP’s mission is “to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential, as productive, responsible and caring citizens.” Services are provided in three freestanding clubhouses in Oxnard and Port Hueneme which include a dedicated Teen Center, 11 public school program sites, one Club site in Nyeland Acres, one site at a Squires Public Housing, and the first Boys & Girls Club in a juvenile hall in the State of California. The purpose of BGCOP is to provide social, educational and recreational programs to all youth ages 6-18 years old, with an emphasis on those in underserved areas. Annual member dues is $20.00 however, no one is turned away regardless of ability to pay. Over 10,400 youth and teens are served annually. For more information, to get involved or to donate, please visit www.BGCOP.org.