Jelix M. Serrano González, the young woman who transformed her story into leadership

PPhoto provided.

From the classroom to the awards podium, Jelix M. Serrano González has demonstrated that excellence, hard work and commitment to her community can open unsuspected doors. This talented young woman, a participant in the Kinesis Foundation's Bright Stars program, was recently recognized as Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico's Youth of the Year, an award that applauds not only her academic performance, but also her authentic leadership and deep commitment to service.

Serrano González's history with Boys & Girls Club began when she was just six years old. However, it wasn't until last year, as she watched the candidates for the Youth of the Year 2024 award, that something sparked in her: a desire to lead, to tell her story and to represent her community. With the unconditional support of a mentor, she embarked on an intense preparation process. She wrote essays, practiced speeches, attended workshops and challenged her own limits. Each step brought her closer to her goal.

A native of Arecibo, the Bright Star student shined at the regional competition, impressing the judges with her academic excellence, leadership and community work. For a long time, she carried with her experiences that made her feel rejected. However, this experience allowed her to reflect on the role the Boys & Girls Club has played in strengthening her self-esteem, leadership and sense of belonging. Today, she not only recognizes herself as a brave and capable young woman, but also as a leader. And it was the Kinesis Foundation that empowered that talent, offering her tools and opportunities to expose herself and continue to grow.

“Kinesis has helped me because it has also strengthened me [in] those leadership experiences, to be more committed to my work and exposing me to different environments, activities and workshops that develop me for my academic tasks,” said Serrano González, who described her participation in the Bright Stars program as” delightful.”

Thanks to this achievement, the young woman will travel to the United States and represent Puerto Rico -during the month of June- in the national Youth of the Year competition. She is currently rewriting her speech and adapting it to English but also making sure to integrate into it the voice, challenges and dreams of an entire generation of young Puerto Ricans whom she now proudly represents.

On the verge of completing his eleventh-grade year, Serrano González looks to the future with clarity and determination. After receiving a scholarship as part of the award, the talented student is thinking about her next goals. Among them, she dreams of studying medicine at the University of Puerto Rico and serving her country. 

The story of Jelix M. Serrano González is a powerful testimony to the impact that strategic alliances between organizations committed to Puerto Rican youth can have. The services that Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico and the Kinesis Foundation provide reaffirm that when we join forces to support talented and committed students, we multiply the opportunities for personal and collective transformation. Serrano González represents not only what a young woman with dreams and discipline can achieve, but also what is possible when the country invests in its people. To bet on these alliances is to bet on a better Puerto Rico.