By JON BAKER

PAWTUCKET — Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket Teen Program Director Mike Coelho had the distinct privilege of picking up Carolina Correa from Warwick's T.F. Green Airport on Thursday afternoon, stating the “conquering heroine” was rather collected en route home.

“She was pretty relaxed, but when she saw the police escorts waiting for us as we drove off (Route 95 North), she flipped out,” Coelho laughed. “She said to me, 'Mike, you're going through all the red lights (on School Street)!' I just said, 'Carolina (pronounced Carol-EENA), you haven't seen anything yet.”
When a white Pawtucket Police car, sirens blaring, entered the driveway to the Alfred Elson Jr. branch (with a black cruiser behind Coelho's vehicle), Correa couldn't believe her eyes. In the woods by the amphitheater, at least 150 “fans” applauded the woman who — on Wednesday morning — had become the newest Boys & Girls Club of America's 2009-10 National Youth of the Year in Washington, D.C.
Correa, a 19-year-old recent Shea High School graduate and now Assumption College freshman, first hugged sponsor and former club preteen director Holly Bubier, then beelined for her mother, Lina Tamayo, who carried a huge bouquet of flowers for her daughter.
More hugs and kisses ensued, those to stepfather Gus Loaiza, and long-time family friend Alvaro Gonzalez.
Why such a massive celebration? Correa – the only Rhode Islander ever to win the Northeast Regional title (in July in New York) – became the first Ocean Stater and Latina to snatch the national “crown,” one presented by BGCA and the Reader's Digest Foundation since 1947.
“Carolina called me (Wednesday) and said, 'Hi, Mommy,' and I was, like, 'Hi,' because I was so very nervous, but then she told me she won, and she was so excited,” Tamayo offered. “I started crying, and she said to me, 'Thank you, Mommy! Thank you for everything!'
“This is too much,” she added of the Welcome Home fete. “I didn't expect the kids (club members) to start screaming her name. There are so many important people here.”
They included Mayor James E. Doyle; State Rep. Peter Kilmartin; club Board of Directors' President Bill Catelli; board members Richard Blockson, Phil Ayoub, Dave Francis, Brian Rawnsley and Tom Westgate; Shea High Principal Dr. Chris Lord; Club President Alan Young; and Chief Executive Officer Jim Hoyt, who emceed a short ceremony.
Kilmartin even presented Correa a House of Representatives's citation.
“I found out (Wednesday) when I saw an e-mail from one of the Friends of Shea, and I just burst into tears of joy,” Lord stated before Correa's arrival. “I was in my office – coincidently, so were School Superintendent Dr. (Hans) Dellith and Deputy Superintendent Kim Mercer. I told them, and they were thrilled.
“There is no more deserving student in all of my professional experience to win such a prestigious honor; Carolina is beyond exceptional,” he continued. “It's her elegance, poise, compassion for other students and her commitment to her own and her community's well-being. She's a model for all of us. I'm honored to have met her.”
Stated Mayor Doyle: “Believe it or not, I go to Boy Scout events frequently to recognize those who have become Eagle Scouts, and I discovered only 3.5 percent of all those who enter Scouting earn Eagle status. To think she won out of 4.5 million, it's astonishing. What a shot in the arm this is for Pawtucket, and the Boys & Girls Club. I knew she was pretty special.”

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Correa, Hoyt and Amy Gravell, the club's development officer, made the trip to Washington and the competition's final phase last Friday. There, Correa – the Northeast Regional Youth of the Year – met four other regional victors.
“The most significant thing happened Tuesday night at a National Board of Governors Dinner of the Boys & Girls Club of America, and corporate partners were there as well,” Hoyt said. “Each of the five candidates had to deliver a three-minute speech about their lives, and how they were affected by their own club. Carolina's was truly powerful.”
The next day, the five contestants went to a Congressional Breakfast on a lavish building rooftop at 101 Constitution Avenue, a host of senators and representatives in attendance.
Gravell claimed she tried to soften a possible letdown by telling her how far she had come, and that – win or lose – “what an amazing example you are of what our club does for thousands of kids.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse introduced her, and what followed stunned Hoyt, Gravel and the massive audience.
“When they called her name, we were all surprised, given the enormity of it, but then she got up to speak,” said Hoyt, who noted this honor represents all Rhode Island clubs, including Cumberland-Lincoln and East Providence. “Well, her maturity beyond her years showed. She spoke to the other contestants, and said how proud she was to even be considered with them. Then she talked about what her club had done for her.
“But then came the big thing – she asked everyone to stand and join her in thanking the strongest and most courageous woman she had ever known. When she said, 'My mom. I hope one day I can be just like you,' the place went berserk. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
“This really puts a stamp of approval on everything our club does, including the Board of Directors, the Board of Trustees, our supporters and staff,” he added. “This puts the stamp on their efforts.”
Noted Gravell: “She's just amazing. Carolina is so good under pressure, and that's clearly a part of what got her here. She has such poise.”

**

The reasons for her triumph? Colombian-born, her family came to Rhode Island when she was 12, but none could speak English. She joined the club soon after, and developed a friendship with a girl who helped teach her a new language. While tackling her education, she also worked part-time jobs to help her family.
At Shea, she became senior captain of the Raiders' swim team, and a member of the Key Club, a community service organization. She also worked at Family Day, mentored incoming freshmen and served as a tutor for the S.T.A.R. after-school program.
Taking advanced-placement courses, Correa graduated in the top three percent of her class, and now chases a future in child psychology. In addition, she's a member of the Pawtucket Teen Hall of Fame, and a National Honor Society scholar.
“This has been the most exceptional experience I've had in my life,” said Correa, who gleaned a $15,000 scholarship from Reader's Digest for the national award, boosting her total scholarship amount (from all four levels of this contest) to over $45,000.
“The people I got to meet – like Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Reps. Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin – and the teens I got to work with, those regional winners, were truly amazing individuals,” she continued. “They did so much for their schools and communities, as well as their Boys & Girls Clubs. I know we couldn't all win, but they were so inspiring. I will take everything I learned from them with me.
“I'm really nothing special. After the announcement, my heart dropped and my knees were shaking. I got up and said, 'I'm supposed to make a speech after hearing this news! How?' Everyone laughed. After the speech, where I talked about my mom, I've never seen so many guys crying in my life!”
When asked how it feels to represent 4.5 million BGCA members, the largest youth organization in the United States (including military bases in Europe and Puerto Rico), Correa said only, “I can't believe any of this, to tell you the truth, except I'll be there for others who need help. I've had some obstacles and challenges in my life, but so have those other (contestants).
“I just want kids to be proud of where they come from and who they are. I want them to have dreams, and aspire to higher achievements. I want them to take every opportunity and run with it, and never forget who has helped you on your path to success.”
That said, she hustled back to her family, posing for even more photos with those who celebrated this illustrious day. Later Thursday, Correa had to drive back to Assumption, as she had a 5:30 p.m. swim practice in which to partake, then classes.
How typical.