‘You are a rock star’: Ximena Sanchez Martinez wins Boys and Girls recognition as Youth of the Year

“You are the best,” said Conway to Sanchez Martinez, with tears welled in her eyes while hugging a bouquet of flowers awarded to her Tuesday, Jan. 29, in at the East Palo Alto clubhouse.

Following her victory over three other regional finalists, the Sequoia High School senior will go on to compete against other winners from California clubs with hopes of advancing to the national championship. She was named the winner following a series of essays, interviews, speeches and other events.

But even if she ultimately falls short of winning the organization’s top award, which includes a $25,000 college scholarship, Sanchez Martinez and her colleagues from the Redwood City, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park clubs will enjoy rewards.

Former San Francisco 49er Harris Barton announced during the event Sanchez Martinez and fellow club finalists Andres Alas, Leslie Hernandez and Jayla Hill will share a $50,000 scholarship paid through Champion Charities, Barton’s joint venture with former teammate Ronnie Lott. The students will also receive tickets to see an upcoming performance of “Hamilton,” in San Francisco.

Seemingly overwhelmed in the moment immediately after her victory was announced, Sanchez Martinez struggled to locate the right words to capture her feelings.

“I’m excited,” she said. “I’m nervous.”

Sanchez Martinez is no stranger to mixed emotions though, as evidenced in the long, tenuous path she traveled from her native Mexico to the United States as an adolescent which she detailed during her speech at the event.

When she arrived in California as a young girl, Sanchez Martinez said she first believed learning to speak English and advocating for her parents while navigating medical and legal systems would be a way of establishing her independence.

But through exposure to the strict mandates of those agencies, Sanchez Martinez learned her self sufficiency would be inadequate when matched against systemic formalities.

Rather than shrivel in face of the hardship, Sanchez Martinez said she leaned on the support offered at high school and the Boys and Girls Club to plot her future.

Finding adults who believed in her and fellow teens who shared a similar background helped Sanchez Martinez find the faith that she would not be limited by the challenges she encountered.

Sanchez Martinez’s speech resonated with a judge’s panel comprised of Conway, former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, SurveyMonkey CEO Zander Lurie and advocate Felicia Horowitz. The fundraising event also featured an introduction by Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant, and appearances by LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki as well as her sister YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.

Rather than look to her past, Sanchez Martinez said she is preparing for her future.

An outstanding student with a 4.5 GPA in high school and a lengthy community service resume, Sanchez Martinez said she is setting her sights on potentially attending premier institutions such as Dartmouth, Stanford or Princeton universities.

While she one day hopes to work as a neuroscientist and inspire children with similar backgrounds to achieve their dreams, in the afterglow of her recognition, Sanchez Martinez basked in the moment.

Beneath the bright stage lights, Sanchez Martinez graciously received congratulations and hugs from a stream of donors and event attendees, including Conway, who turned to her parents and shared his admiration.

“You guys raised a rock star,” he said, offering another contender to her growing list of potential definitions.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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