Boys & Girls Club's 2023 National Youth of the Year visits 'MLB on FOX' set

Since being tabbed as Boys & Girls Clubs of America's (BGCA) 2023 National Youth of the Year in early October, Alejandra has had several once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But for the teenager from McAllen, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, the opportunity to attend Game 2 of the 2023 World Series and meet the "MLB on FOX" crew meant something extra special.

"My grandfather played [baseball] in Mexico," Alejandra, a first-generation Mexican American, told FOX Sports. "I remember all the Saturday and Sunday games, spending the whole day at the field and watching my grandpa pitch, because he was a pitcher, and he was a really good pitcher. He was good enough to go play for the Mexican League, but he decided not to. He just did it recreationally."

Several other members of Alejandra's family, including Alejandra herself, also played baseball when she was young, but Alejandra stopped when she and her mother immigrated to the United States. Still, getting the chance to go to the World Series, and meet MLB legends Alex Rodriguez, David "Big Papi" Ortiz and Derek Jeter was an "awesome" experience.

"Everyone knows who they are," Alejandra said of the MLB greats on FOX's studio crew. "Getting the opportunity to speak to them one on one, and feeling them be proud of us, the Boys & Girls Club youth, for getting this far representing all of these kids. … It was really nice."

Because of her recognition as Boys & Girls Clubs' National Youth of the Year, Alejandra's hometown club received the inaugural FOX Sports World Series Scholarship, which she accepted on its behalf while at the game. The scholarship, made possible through an expansion of the FOX Sports Gamechanger Fund community impact initiative, was presented by the "MLB on FOX" crew — Rodriguez, Ortiz, Jeter and host Kevin Burkhardt.

"Meeting Big Papi and A-Rod, I just thought it was so amazing, especially because we were speaking Spanish to one another." Alejandra said. "Just having that in common made be feel really great because I can just feel the pride from the Hispanic and Latin community. … They were both super excited. They were full of smiles."

Alejandra said her experience, which included taking part in pregame ceremonies and getting a behind-the-scenes look at how a World Series game is staged and televised, also brought back a lot of memories of her baseball-playing grandfather, who died two years ago.

The experience was also significant for Rodriguez in particular. Before he hit 696 MLB home runs and won three American League MVP awards and a World Series championship, Rodriguez was a "Club kid" himself, and now sits on BGCA's board of governors.

"Being named National Youth of the Year is an incredible achievement — and an even bigger responsibility as they represent the voices of millions of Club kids around the country," Rodriguez said. "It’s an honor to present the inaugural FOX Sports World Series Scholarship to Alejandra and help FOX Sports open doors to positive futures for more Club kids like me."

In speaking about the award on the "MLB on FOX" postgame show after Game 3 of the World Series on Monday, Rodriguez said his involvement with BGCA as a child "basically saved my life."

Rodriguez is not the only member of the FOX Sports family with deep ties to BGCA. FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks was also once a "Club kid" and, like Rodriguez, remains heavily involved with the organization as a member of its board of governors.

"As a Club kid, having access to a Boys & Girls Club was instrumental in my upbringing," Shanks said. "I’m proud to further FOX Sports’ commitment to the organization and support Club kids’ pursuit of higher education with this scholarship while recognizing their outstanding leadership, service, academic excellence and promise of a bright future."

Ortiz and Jeter have also worked with the organization for years and spoke glowingly of their experiences Monday. 

Alejandra, for her part, says she was impacted deeply when Rodriguez shared with her what being part of a Boys & Girls Club meant to him.

"It was crazy [to hear him share] because it has allowed him to get so far in his life, and it has done the same for me and for other youths," Alejandra said.

Alejandra is already having quite an impact of her own. According to BGCA, Alejandra "quickly grew from a shy, sensitive child to a confident leader who is determined to serve her community," drawing inspiration from her single mother's work ethic to volunteer in her school as a member of its student council, class treasurer and student body president.

"It's so important to be involved in our communities, because getting the hands-on experience is the only way to really know the concerns of the community," Alejandra said. "And it allows us to not just be able to help our own community, but to help ourselves."

"Through those hands-on experiences, that's where we get our own self-growth, and we become better people, and we learn about how we should communicate with others, and what we can do to repay your community for the things that they have given us."

Alejandra credits her Boys & Girls Club and her mentors there for playing a major role in her growth as well into a young community leader. 

"It has been a really strong foundation full of opportunities for the things I can achieve in my life," Alejandra said. "They have been there for me since I was 7 years old, and whether I needed help — someone to talk to, an academic resource, or just something fun to do — the club has always been there, and they've always supported me through everything. Even at the times where I didn't believe I can do it myself, or I felt too shy to do something, or where I just wasn't ready and didn't feel like I was ready, the Club always pushed me."

Alejandra has big goals for the future as well. She plans on graduating college, getting her certified public accountant license, and eventually working in nonprofit taxes. She also aspires to work in government, particularly in fiscal policy, before perhaps one day running for public office herself — after going to law school, of course, so she can better understand tax law and how money works in government and is allocated to communities.

Her award, she says, is just the first step.

"It just shows that any kid from our community can go out there and accomplish great things," Alejandra said.