Bay Area teen named Boys & Girls Club Youth of Year

Jocelyn Woods is going to the World Series. The only question now is where.

The Bay Area teen was named Wednesday as the 2016-17 National Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, meaning she will receive $145,000 in college scholarships, will become the representative voice for four million young BGC&A members, will get to go to Disney World, will receive a new Toyota vehicle, and will help get Major League Baseball’s jewel event started by delivering a baseball to the mound for Game 1 of the 112th Fall Classic on Oct. 25.

“As we continue to celebrate 20 years of partnership with our official charity, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we congratulate all of BGCA’s Youth of the Year finalists,” said Tom Brasuell, MLB vice president of community affairs. “We look forward to hosting Jocelyn at this year’s World Series, as we continue a tradition of the National Youth of the Year delivering the game ball to start the Fall Classic.”

Woods, 18, will get the party started in an American League ballpark to be announced. It could be in Boston, Cleveland or Arlington — the site of division champs. It could be in the home of a Wild Card team that is very much to be determined. This location will be a mere formality to the new winner, who plans to study journalism at the University of Southern California and said she is inspired to become a journalist, lawyer and entrepreneur.

“The Club has always been my home; a place that I could count on to feel safe and supported by people who love and care about me, even when the actual place that I lived did not meet those standards,” Woods said. “As National Youth of the Year, I want to make sure kids and teens across this great nation know that there is a safe place, like a Boys & Girls Club, in their local community where they can learn to …

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