Part of what makes the Club experience special is the consistent mentorship and support kids get from phenomenal staff members, like Tre Beauchamp.

Tre Beauchamp grew up as a Club kid at Wallingford Boys & Girls Club. Now he’s the Teen Director there, giving back to the program and community that was so valuable to him growing up.

The teens love hanging out with Tre, and when we asked him what was special about his approach to connecting with kids, his humble explanation said it all: the feeling is mutual.

There’s something about when the kids show up in the afternoon and they’re always excited to tell me about their day. It’s really special to share their excitement.

By treating teens like people, setting high expectations, and entrusting them with responsibilities, Tre believes in giving all kids a chance. He wants the Club to be consistent and safe for kids — a place where they can always find him to play basketball or get homework help.

It’s important to make them feel like they belong, and that this is their home.

An accomplishment at the Club that Tre is especially proud of is the Teen Music Club, started last year. At the Wallingford annual event in June, celebrating Club members and staff, Music Club performed two songs that they’d spent months preparing. The kids killed it! Tre observed: “To see them that proud of something was really special.”

Meghan Sweet, the North Clubs Area Director, recommended Tre for a staff feature because “he runs quality programs and is at the Club late on weekends doing things with the teens – having dinner, providing mentorship, doing special events and community service projects.”

He genuinely cares about the Club members and is a reliable mentor, as kids tackle difficult situations in their own lives.

Meghan shared the following story about Tre’s dedication: “Tre took on staying until 8 p.m. every weeknight to do our Teen Dinner program. He did this voluntarily because he knew we had a lot of kids whose parents aren’t home when they leave the Club. This way, they get an hour at the Club without the little kids and they get dinner, mentorship, and homework help. He gives up so many of his nights and weekends to make sure the teens have what they need. I can tell the kids really appreciate this. They know he cares.”

Meghan Sweet and Operations Director Adam Monda knew Tre as a Club kid and have watched him grow into a compassionate leader at the Club. As Tre has been in a staff role for 5 years, he is now watching Club kids grow and mature and is excited to see some join the staff ranks as well.

Tre’s favorite program as a kid was Torch Club (a community service and leadership group) because he got to do “fun activities like trash pick-ups at the park and helping at animal shelters.”

Passing on his excitement for community service projects to the next generation is part of what makes Tre a terrific role model for young people.

Having experiences as a Club kid helps Tre connect with kids and understand the importance of the Club in a kid’s life. His main focus is always on what he can do to help the Wallingford kids grow.

There might be times in my job during the day when I get frustrated, but the second the kids walk through the door, I know I can’t ever do anything else.