Samantha Spencer, an eighthgrade student at Los Cerritos Middle School in Thousand Oaks, was honored as 2005 Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Conejo Valley and Las Virgenes during a dinner at the Tierra Rejada Golf Club on Sun., April 2.

Throughout the year, Boys & Girls Clubs select members as Youths of the Month. Youth of the Year is then chosen by a panel of judges using Boys & Girls Clubs of America national criteria.

It is the club's premier program for recognizing members' service to the club, community and family; academic performance; moral character; life goals and poise and speaking ability.

At the Los Cerritos Club, Samantha is involved in Torch Club, a leadership and service group whose members work together to implement activities in four areas: service to the club and community, education, health and fitness and social recreation. She's also active in Smart Girls, a program that helps young women make intelligent life decisions; Cooking Class; Leaders in Training and Spanish Club.

She is an avid basketball player and aspires to play professionally. Samantha would like to attend UCLA.

The Los Cerritos Club, which is adjacent to the Los Cerritos Middle School campus, has been serving children for more than two years.

Clubs are open before and after school, and all day during school vacations and the summer. Young people are provided a wide range of experiences, including educational and academic enrichment, health and fitness, athletics, art and music, community service and computer training. Boys & Girls Club programs encourage smart choices, guide and develop leadership skills, and emphasize strong character and good citizenship in every member.

This year is the centennial of the Boys & Girls Club, and April 2 through 9 is National Boys & Girls Clubs Week.

For more information, to volunteer or to make a donation, call (818) 880-8577 or log onto www.bgcconejo.org.