“After-School All-Stars has changed me for the better for many reasons…

In 7th grade, I joined All-Stars with the classes Power Hour and Sports as a Hook (SAAH). Power Hour is where I would get my homework done and once we were finished, we would do something productive like reading or working on another assignment. Afterwards was snack, where we would eat a healthy food that tasted good. After that, we would go to All-Star Fit Club or Sports as a Hook, which was the best part of the day for me.

Sports as a Hook has been and continues to be a great experience for me because it has provided many opportunities that I thought would never happen to me. SAAH taught me about portion control and how to work out. Plus, it exposed me to different sports such as basketball, dodgeball, football, and golf. I even lost 20 pounds throughout the process! Then, at the end of the year, I was asked to attend an event to represent ASAS. While I was there, I talked about portion control with different people and shared about my SAAH class. The guests were pleased with my performance and I was asked to do the same thing once more at the Department of Education, but this time in front of First Lady Michelle Obama. It was an honor to meet the First Lady and share with her how I’d learned how to get fit and healthy.

In May, Ms. K asked me to become a Youth Advisory Board member. This meant that I would be a student leader and continue to represent ASAS. I gladly accepted this leadership position. Over the summer, Youth Advisory Board members from the across the country were asked to come to Washington, D.C., to the 4H Center for a week of activities and leadership training. My favorite part of the YAB retreat was the monument tour and being able to make friends that live all over the United States.

Overall, ASAS has changed my life for the better because of the opportunities that have been allowed to me.”