Mission’s Ximena Villarreal named Boys & Girls Club’s National Youth of the Year

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MISSION — IDEA Mission senior Ximena Villarreal’s advocacy for immigrant students, based on her own personal life, has elevated her to be named the 2025-26 National Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a national award that recognizes a student’s leadership, community service and advocacy for youth issues.

Students brought the energy Tuesday at a pep rally to celebrate Villarreal, a member of the Boys & Girls Club of McAllen, and packed the gym at IDEA Mission. Villarreal gave a heartfelt speech about her journey as an immigrant student, which is the focus of her research and advocacy that won her the award.

“I feel so happy,” she said. “I feel like my community has really uplifted me and them celebrating me today was amazing. It shows just how much a community can help change someone like me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s truly an honor to have this position and to get to represent so many kids all over the US, but also my community.”

The award comes with a $50,000 scholarship, a new car and Ximena serving as a spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club across America.

Being involved in the Boys & Girls Club of McAllen for nine years, she said last summer as part of an initiative called Think, Learn, Create Change, she formed a group to find an issue in her community and advocate for it.

The group decided to focus on the struggles of immigrant teens, and specifically Mexican Americans like herself.

“In the Valley, almost everyone here is Mexican American, or at least Hispanic, and because of that, all of us have similar stories, or our parents have similar stories,” Ximena said. “So we decided to survey a lot of people about what they had gone through. We did these presentations to the community. We also did like a word wall and all these different ways to advocate. We talked to a local immigration attorney, which was nerve-racking, but it was amazing.”

All the feedback, data and research led to the group talking to state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa to find ways to implement a bill or policy that could mandate training to better equip teachers to help immigrant teens in public schools.

“We took all of the work that we did, we presented it in Washington D.C. in front of 500 people, and it was nerve-racking, but it was a big step forward,” she said. “It was us realizing that we have the power to create, change and use our voices for the better good.”

Ximena is the second Valley student in the span of three years to receive the award with McAllen ISD’s Alejandra Llanos named youth of the year in 2023.

Both award winners are friends and still keep in touch.

“She was so happy,” Ximena said. “To have both of us from the Valley, in three years, is amazing. It’s a representation to what us Hispanics can do and what the impact that we can have.”

Dalinda Gonzalez-Alcantar, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of McAllen, said the organization has never had two award winners in such proximity to each other.

“She’s an example of all the kids that we have in the Valley so for me, it’s reignited just the understanding that we need to continue to do more for our children here in the region,” the CEO said.

Gonzalez-Alcantar also said Ximena’s award also showcases the power she has as a Latina, reflecting on her journey and using that to advocate for her community.

“To be able to have our voices elevated through Ximena and to tell the stories of how incredible our immigrant population is, especially (during Hispanic Heritage Month) is such an honor that we can support her.” she said. “She’ll be going across the country this year, and she’ll be sharing our stories, and she’ll also be asking for things on behalf of immigrant families. So it’s great to see that she is unapologetic in understanding the value that immigrant families have here in this country.”

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