LIHU‘E — Tavia Rapozo, a senior at Kauai High School, said she is not going to be stuck in the hole.
“Depression and anxiety?” Rapozo said. “I’m not going to let it keep me in that hole of despair — being a victim.”
Instead, Rapozo who is a member of the Boys &Girls Club, Lihue Clubhouse, has risen above that black hole to become the 2019 Youth of the Year candidate from Kauai.
“Depression, anxiety?” she said. “Who would think that a 9-year-old could suffer from these?”
Rapozo, at 9 years old, took a step out of the hole by joining the B&G Club, Lihue, she explained in one of three essays she had to create to advance in the annual competition themed — Voices of a Generation. Her other essays spoke of what matters to me, and overcoming obstacles.
“The B&G Club became therapy,” Rapozo said. “I discovered my passion for dance. Now, I want to go to college after high school and major in architecture so I can design my own dance studio. One day, I hope to become a dance studio owner and do architecture as a part-time business.”
Rapozo follows in the steps of other Lihue B&G Club members who went on to the annual Youth of the Year competition, the last one being Jessica Herman who finished the competition as a finalist.
“Tavia’s been attending the Youth Academy since October,” said Tina Albao, the B&G Club Kauai coordinator. “Those classes are on Oahu, and Tavia was conscientious about attending. Then, she dropped off for a while. But she’s back on track, now, and will be attending her next competitive phase on Feb. 8 that will be interviews and speech against six candidates from Oahu. She needs to qualify at that phase in order to advance to the next level.”
Additionally, Rapozo is going to South Africa this summer.
The trip for a week-and-a-half is being sponsored by the Pacific Youth Foundation where she will visit areas that can impact her perception and how she can make a difference in the world.
“You need to be in this Youth of the Year contest to be eligible,” Albao said. “Tavis is one of three who was selected to go to South Africa. These candidates had to write essays in order to be considered for making the trip.”
Preparations for the Feb. 8 competition already started when Rapozo was provided the opportunity to speak at Kanikapila in Paradise presented by the Boys &Girls Club Hawaii. She also produced a video of her meeting with Mayor Derek Kawakami that mixed in dance segments along with the personal conversations she had with the mayor.
“Nope,” she said, demonstrating her confidence at the upcoming competition. “I have a lot of help after talking with former Youth of the Year Jessica and Bryden Ka‘ahawai who came home from the University of Nevada Las Vegas to visit during the holidays.”
Depression, anxiety, and despair proved to be her biggest obstacle.
“It took a long time for me to overcome this,” Rapozo said. “When I started to come here, I met all of these people who were very supportive, not only of me, but what I do”. I learned dancing, here. I discovered the passion I had inside me when I was dancing at events like the Love Life Showcase that is about loving life and carries an anti-suicide message.”
Her eight-year journey with the Boys &Girls Club, described by Kawakami as a “safe haven” for youth, also peeled away layers that obscured her love for her parents and younger brother who is in the sixth grade.
“I will keep coming to the Boys &Girls Club,” Rapozo said. “I am not being stuck in the dark hole of despair.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
