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But she doesn’t believe she would be where she is today if it weren’t for the Boys and Girls Club of Garfield.
“The Boys and Girls Club has played a crucial role in making all of this possible for me,” said Cubuk, who graduated Garfield High School in 2013 in the top 5 percent of her class, and went on to study biochemistry, molecular biology and holistic health at Stockton University, before enrolling in the PhD program at the Washington University School of Medicine.
At 15, Cubuk joined Keystone, a program run by the Boys and Girls Clubs that focuses on career development, academic success, and community service. She then began volunteering in the afterschool program which she said helped her gain leadership skills and confidence in her “ability to help others,” she said.
At 17, she enrolled in a work studies class at Garfield High School, and went to work at the club. She was later named the club’s Youth of the Year, which came with a college scholarship.
She said the club “always will be a second family to me.”
“I am forever grateful for everything the club has done to motivate me and help me become the person I am today,” she said.
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