With heaps of leadership experience and volunteerism under her proverbial belt, Mercer Island High School junior Adele Ross was recently honored by the Boys & Girls Club of King County.

The local 16-year-old received a Quincy Robertson Service and Leadership Award — which features a $2,500 scholarship for college — in front of the immense crowd at the club’s King County Youth of the Year ceremony on Feb. 8 at the Smilow Rainier Vista Club in Seattle. She was one of two winners of the Robertson award.

During her speech at the event, Ross told the six-judge panel about her club experience, which includes serving on the teen advisory board, as a summer counselor in training and more. She’s taught kids how to cook in the Grub Club and leads them through their time frequenting the club.

“I was honestly in shock when I got the award. I had no idea. I was just like, ‘What? That’s me,’” she said. “It really felt rewarding, and I just wasn’t really expecting to be nominated in the first place. I just felt so honored to be able to represent the Boys & Girls Club and everything that they’ve given me.”

Ross said she was nervous walking up to the podium to speak, but her speech flowed once she got rolling and she nailed it.

Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club Operations Director Becky Shaddle showered Ross with praise: “I have seen her grow into a strong, confident natural leader. She is an amazing teen and we are blessed to have her as part of the club.”

Boys & Girls Club of King County added in a press release that Ross is passionate about making a lasting impact by championing youth, advancing educational initiatives, and fostering inclusive spaces where everyone feels valued and supported.

On the award front, Robertson is a retired and beloved Boys & Girls Club staff member, who spent his 39-year club career serving youth and his community in countless ways, according to the release. Usually, one youth receives the award, but this year the judges pulled a surprise and honored both Ross and Youseff Lancaster of the Kirkland Boys & Girls Club.

Ross, who won a $500 scholarship for being honored as the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year last October, was one of 10 nominees for the King County honor. The nominees each wrote three essays and delivered a speech at the ceremony.

During an interview with the Reporter, Ross touched upon her journey with the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club, which began when she was in the sixth grade.

Her leadership roles have helped her advocate for people in the community and pushed her toward a pair of passion projects:

Through the STEM Destination Imagination program, “I was able to learn about the fentanyl pandemic and how that’s really affecting people in our community, like Seattle and also the Island. We made a community outreach video where we explained how to use Narcan in order to save a life. And we also taught about drugs or just prescription medicine being laced with fentanyl and how to be aware of that and to help somebody in case of an emergency.”

She also worked on a volunteer project through the Hope Foundation.

“We got to help build a house that somebody gets to live in. And it kind of helps people transition out of homelessness and into living on their own. It really helps the people a lot more than shelters because it gives them a house and it makes them feel a lot safer there,” she said.

Mercer Island High School junior Adele Ross with Quincy Robertson (right) and Youseff Lancaster, the other recipient of the service and leadership award. Courtesy photo