Sometimes it’s easy to forget that you’re making a difference.
That’s what happened to Mahomet-Seymour freshmen Cayden Versetto.
The four-year member of the Mahomet Area Youth Club was very surprised when he was named the 2020 MAYC Youth of the Year.
“It’s a reason for me to keep pushing because sometimes I just feel like, ‘Oh, well, I’m not going to make a change,’” he said. But every time I go back and think about winning the award I think, ‘Oh, well, I can do something about this or I can make a change.’”
Versetto moved to the Mahomet-Seymour School District as a sixth grade student.
“Honestly, when I was in junior high it was kind of rough just because I was new, and so people were kind of pushing me back. I just kind of had to deal with it for the most part.”
Being at MAYC, though, was a place of respite for Versetto.
He said the program’s focus on learning to connect and cope with other people and his problems has helped him through some tough times, including losing his dad.
“It’s been great, as I had the ability to come here and just spend time with people and have a place to just hang out,” he said.
And having a younger sibling has helped, too.
“She’s been there for me and I just want to thank her,” he said.
Versetto’s mission recently has been to advocate for people who may not know how to have a voice for themselves. He has been embolden by the diversity training he’s received while at MAYC.
“I want to be vocal, because I know a lot of people have trouble vocalizing the thoughts and feelings so I try to be as vocal as possible about how I feel,” he said. “And I try to interact with people who have the same goals as me.”
The boy who wears the White Sox hat his dad owned is being anti-racist through doing the little things that count.
“Not fixing the whole big picture because it ise a bigger problem; it’s kind of been somewhat built in because of slavery. But if we can progressively break down some of those walls, that’s kind of what I’m going for.”
Versetto hasn’t been to the youth club much this year. With things changing because of COVID-19, he has been at school then going home.
He said, though, receiving the annual award made him realize that the work he is doing is noticeable among his peer and the MAYC staff.
“I’m making a change,” he said. “I’m making a difference.”
