Kacey Umanzor.

Boys and Girls Club Alumni, Kacey Umanzor and Nikola Macovksi, have been awarded scholarships to attend College of the Canyons this fall by the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley.

“We are proud to be able to support Kacey and Nikola as they transition into their adult life. Both have made great contributions to the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita. We look forward to seeing where their collegiate path takes them,” states Matt Nelson, Chief Executive Officer.

Kacey Umanzor is a Canyon High School graduate who says some of her best memories in high school were being involved in the Boys & Girls Club leadership program, Keystone. While in Keystone Kacey learned public speaking, organization, and leadership skills that will help her be successful in college and a career. She says attending the National Keystone Conference two years in a row made a major impact on her life. The conferences inspired her to come back and take on more leadership opportunities with her peers in Santa Clarita. Kacey looks forward to completing her general education requirements at COC while exploring the arts. She says, “Being someone who loves art, I would like to be a leader on how we can take our imagination and bring it to the real world.”

Kacey is receiving a $2,000 scholarship funded by Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley alumnus, Humberto Covarrubias. While attending the Club from 2002-2006 Humebrto was heavily involved in the basketball program and teen leadership programs such as Keystone and Leaders in Training. Humberto is a Firefighter/Paramedic who received a College of the Canyons scholarship from Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley in 2006. The scholarship helped him “focus on becoming an EMT and earn my Associates Degree in Fire Technology.” Humberto and his wife Michelle hope that this scholarship gives the recipient the extra help they need to focus on education and be successful. Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley Board President, Ann-Marie Bjorkman shares, “It’s so exciting to see a former Boys & Girls Club member, who received the COC scholarship in the past, go on to be successful in their career and then turn around and support the next generation. That is a huge part of what the Boys & Girls Club is all about, developing character and building leaders.”

Nikola Macovski.

Nikola Macovksi is a Golden Valley High School graduate who began visiting the Boys & Girls Club with his friends in 8th grade. He says he really got involved his sophomore year of high school when he joined the Club basketball team. He hopes to stay involved with the basketball program throughout college as a volunteer. Nikola plans on attending COC for two years, focusing on business administration and finance, then transferring to Cal State University of Northridge as a Finance major with a minor in Communications/Media. Nikola says this scholarship “will help me start off on the right foot and take a huge amount of pressure off of me so that by the time I graduate I will not be knee deep in debt and can start my future career.”

Nikola is receiving a $1,000 scholarship funded by Rotary Club of Santa Clarita Valley. Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and around the globe. With 1.2 million Rotarians who make up more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in nearly every country in the world they all share a dedication to the ideal of Service Above Self.

Kacey and Nikola were selected by a panel of volunteers and Board members. Club staff educate Club members on the opportunity as they work with teens, advising them on career and education opportunities post high school.

Founded in 1968, the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley provide, academic support, a second home, and builds leaders for over 5,000 local youth. Membership is just $60 a year for the first child and $45 for each additional sibling (scholarships available). Learn about the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley at www.scvbgc.org.