While advancing through the Sonoma Valley Unified School District, student Andrea Ayala Hernandez was tired of not sharing her voice and opinions, so she decided to do something about it.
“I felt that I had to be heard and the only way of doing that was to put myself out there and take on leadership roles,” she said. “I also wanted to become a person who is able to speak for those who feel their voice is not valued, and eventually help them become a confident person who knows they are valued.”
Hernandez began serving in several leadership positions at Sonoma Valley High School, where she is a senior, as well as at Teen Services Sonoma. For her leadership, resilience, character and service, she has been named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley’s 2026 Youth of the Year.
As a finalist in the competition, she received a $500 scholarship and for being selected Youth of the Year, she was awarded an additional $500 scholarship and a laptop computer to support her academic journey.
She will move on to the 2026 Northern California Youth of the Year competition in Napa in March.
“This opportunity allows her to share her story, leadership and impact on a larger stage,” said Eric Gonzalez, vice president of youth development and community engagement for Teen Services Sonoma, which merged with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley in March 2021 to improve the effectiveness of programs available to teens.
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Andrea Ayala Hernandez holds the award she received for being named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley’s’ 2026 Youth of the Year during a celebration at the clubs’ Maxwell Clubhouse on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Melania Mahoney Photography)
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Andrea Ayala Hernandez holds the award she received for being named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley’s’ 2026 Youth of the Year during a celebration at the clubs’ Maxwell Clubhouse on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Melania Mahoney Photography)
He said during the past four years, Hernandez has embodied everything the Boys & Girls Clubs represents.
“From the moment she walked through our doors as a quiet and curious freshman, she has consistently shown up — not just physically, but with heart, intention and a deep sense of purpose,” he said.
Gonzalez said that Hernandez grew from a participant into a leader who lifts others through mentorship, service and example.
“She supports younger members, steps in wherever help is needed and always represents the club with integrity and kindness,” he said. “Andrea is the kind of member who makes the club better just by being part of it, and through her dedication, she has become both a role model and a reflection of everything we hope our members can be.”
Gonzalez said that over the years, Hernandez has become a “kind of architect” for many of the initiative and practices the Teen Center now has in place.
Through Teen Services’ Keystone Club leadership program, she helped to raise nearly $900 for a scholarship for graduating seniors by organizing a bake sale; played games to connect with residents of Sonoma Hills retirement community; and worked to transform the program to better serve the Sonoma Valley community.
She and other Keystone members also went to the East Sonoma County Services Center to speak with local representatives about environmental issues, their school experiences and teen life in Sonoma Valley.
Despite all these contributions, Hernandez was shocked when she learned that she was named the 2026 Youth of the Year.
“But after I was able to fully understand what happened, I felt proud of my accomplishment,” she said. “It means that all the growth I went through was worth it. Through the growth, I became someone I can be proud of.”
Hernandez became a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, attending after-school programs, as a kindergartner at Flowery Elementary School. She remained a member, participating in summer camps, while attending Adele Harrison Middle School.
She joined Teen Services Sonoma when she began attending Sonoma Valley High School, where she is president of Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, a society for students enrolled in Spanish courses.
“Our goal is to make sure that Hispanic culture is represented,” she said. “I have planned school lunch events for Mexican holidays like Mexican Independence Day and the Day of the Dead.”
She also is the treasurer for the Sonoma Valley High MEChA club or Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx/a de Aztlán, a student organization focused on higher education, Chicano unity, and political empowerment.
“This club specifically is meant to make sure that people in the Hispanic culture have the same educational opportunities as others in the school,” Hernandez said. “We want equality in the educational system.”
In addition, Hernandez is financial adviser for the student body government.
“I make sure that the money that the school spends goes toward something that includes and represents the whole school,” she said.
The student body government holds meetings in which students are able to share their opinions about the school. They then convey their ideas to the school’s administrators and help find ways to implement them.
After she graduates from Sonoma Valley High School, Hernandez plans to attend a four-year college and major in sociology, with an intent to eventually pursue a career in law.
In the meantime, she said that as the 2026 Youth of the Year, she is pleased to have a platform to make some lasting changes.
“My personal goal has been to learn and grow,” she said. “Because of those opportunities, I have found myself becoming a better person and leader. I want teens to be unafraid to get out of their comfort zone and reach for the opportunities that are meant to help them. I want to leave behind a legacy of students seizing opportunities.”
