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Award winner says Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield made difference

Date: 4/25/2023

WESTFIELD — Isabella “Bella” Stowell-Marcoux recently received the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield’s Amelia Ferst Memorial Youth of the Year Award. She’s happy she won, but even more grateful for the difference the club has made in her life.

“If I hadn’t come here, I probably would have been a more troubled child, not hanging out with the right crowd of people. They gave me so many opportunities — and they kept me out of a lot of trouble. I had no free time,” Stowell-Marcoux said.

One of five candidates for the award — the highest honor for members — the Southwick Regional School senior, 18, knew she had some strong competition.
“Honestly, I was very shocked at first,” said Stowell-Marcoux, who was hopeful but realistic about her chances. “I feel very honored, but every candidate deserved it as equally as I did.”

The annual award was presented April 5 at the club’s annual awards dinner at Tekoa Country Club in Westfield. For the past 76 years, it has recognized the character, leadership, selflessness, and dedication the recipient possesses and has demonstrated during the past year.

An award nomination also recognizes that a member is striving to reach his or her full potential as a productive, caring and responsible citizen. The other candidates — all 18 and all seniors — were Jacob Beaulieu, Anjalina Escalante and Bryan Seymour from Westfield High School, and Trinity Ross from Southwick Regional School.

Stowell-Marcoux now will compete against Youth of the Year winners from 33 other clubs to be named Massachusetts State Youth of the Year on May 16 at Gillette Stadium.

“I’m excited, but it’s definitely scarier and more nerve-racking. I don’t know any of the candidates I’m going to be going against, like I did here. But it’s kind of exciting in a way to be considered for it and to be competing at that level,” said Stowell-Marcoux.

Stowell-Marcoux has been a member longer than any of the other candidates for the Greater Westfield award. When her mother enrolled her 13 years ago, Stowell-Marcoux felt overwhelmed.

“It was like being at school all day. I was in a room with kids and then I came here after school to be in another room with a whole bunch of kids in my grade,” said the Westfield native who moved to Southwick when she was in fourth grade.

Stowell-Marcoux recalled that she didn’t listen very well and was stubborn. She even skipped some club classes. But “kind and caring” staff helped Stowell-Marcoux enjoy being a member.

“Staff here are different than teachers at school. They don’t treat you like you’re a kid they’re babysitting — they treat you like a friend,” she said.
They showed Stowell-Marcoux she could trust them.

“I’ve always had good grades, but they spent time helping me with my schoolwork and all that stuff,” said Stowell-Marcoux, who has a 4.0 GPA and has made her school’s honor roll.

“I never really wanted to apply to college until my dance teacher started pushing me — she told me I had the grades for it,” she said. Stowell-Marcoux enters Keene State College in New Hampshire this fall as a criminal justice major, hoping for a career as a lawyer.

Stowell-Marcoux loves the opportunities she’s had, especially dancing.

“I wanted to do gymnastics, but instead, my mom put me in acrobatics. It’s a class where you learn how to do tricks. One of the first things I learned was how to do cartwheels,” she said.

Stowell-Marcoux also learned ballet, jazz, contemporary and lyrical dancing during the past 10 years. Her team even won the highest overall score in one competition.

“When you’re in dance, you have friends of all ages. One of my closest friends is 14 and she has a lot of potential, so I just keep pushing her and telling her not to quit,” said Stowell-Marcoux, who continues taking dance classes. Two years ago, she became the captain of the Boys & Girls Club’s dance competition team.

Another passion she pursues at the club is drawing and painting.

“At first, I hated drawing people. I thought it was very difficult — until last year when I took a drawing class and I drew Blake Lively. I’m very proud of that — it was one of my best drawings,” she said.

Stowell-Marcoux said she takes drawing more seriously than painting.

“With painting you can let it dry and cover it up again — mistakes don’t matter as much. But you can only erase so much of the paper when drawing,” she said.

Stowell-Marcoux is an active member of the Keystone Elite Leadership Club, volunteering to help organize a variety of community service projects at the club. She also works part-time as a Kidz Klub staff member, bonding with younger kids over art. In this role, Stowell-Marcoux helps create safe spaces where all children are treated with respect and compassion.

“We have a couple of kids who can get very heated in the moment when the classroom gets too loud for them. I’ll take them for a quick walk around the building to help change their mood,” she said.

Some kids have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which Stowell-Marcoux said she has been diagnosed with, too. She understands they’re not just acting out.

“It’s way easier for me to understand what they’re going through,” she said. “I just try to make sure they know it’s OK to take a step back for a second to cool down.”

The club has become like a second home for Stowell-Marcoux. Even when she’s not there working, she’s there dancing. Going to college away from home will change that, she acknowledged — but maybe not too much.

“I’m very nervous about it. But I’m hoping I can get a similar job at a YMCA,” she said.