On Tuesday, May 12th, the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton proudly attended the 2026 New Jersey Youth of the Year Awards Ceremony at Montclair State University. The evening was a celebration filled with powerful stories of leadership from exceptional young people across New Jersey. The event reflected the mission of the Boys & Girls Club — to inspire and enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.
We are proud to announce that Avi Shah, representing the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton as our 2026 Youth of the Year, was recognized as one of four finalists for the 2026 New Jersey Youth of the Year title.
Congratulations to Avi on this incredible achievement! Your hard work and dedication truly stand out, and this honor is so well deserved!
Avi has been a dedicated member of our Club for 11 years and a standout participant in our Aquatics Program. After completing all levels of swim instruction, he joined the Clifton Seahawks in 2016 and has shown incredible commitment ever since through daily training and competition.
In addition to competing at the Eastern Zone Age Group Championships and the National Boys & Girls Clubs Championships, Avi gives back to our community by volunteering at swim meets, supporting fundraisers, teaching younger swimmers, and serving as both a swim instructor and lifeguard.
Avi has also maintained a 4.5 GPA while balancing athletics, leadership, and work. His dedication has earned him acceptance into top universities including Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Michigan, and Rutgers University for engineering.
Avi truly represents the values of leadership, service, and excellence, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate him as our Youth of the Year!
