Boys & Girls Club alumni across the world began the journey to their great future within Club walls. Boys & Girls Clubs have been molding and influencing youth since 1860.
Meet our distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame honorees. Each of these outstanding inductees first got their start at their hometown Boys & Girls Club! Click here to learn more about the BGCA Hall of Fame.
George Rivera
Inducted: 2002
Native artist and teacher George Rivera first taught art at the Santa Fe Boys & Girls Club, which he joined at age 12, becoming the Club’s Boy of the Year in 1981. Lieutenant governor of New Mexico’s Pojoaque Pueblo since 1992, he has pursued community and economic development through art and education. He founded and designed the Poeh Cultural Center and Museum, an arts and education facility that promotes public understanding of Pueblo history and culture. Rivera is working to ensure a bright future for local youth as chairman of the board for the Pueblo of Pojoaque Boys & Girls Club, which he helped establish.
PaaWee Rivera
Inducted: 2022
PaaWee Rivera is a native of the Pueblo of Pojoaque, a Native American Tribe located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. A graduate of Dartmouth College, PaaWee helps shape the way Tribal communities are respected and empowered through his work with the president and the White House. He helped launch the inaugural White House Tribal Nation Summit in 2021. He also led critical conversations on Native American policy at the Democratic National Committee and served as director and advisor to Senator Elizabeth Warren. PaaWee and his father, George Rivera, are the first father and son to be inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame.
Martin Sensmeier
Inducted: 2026
Martin Sensmeier is an actor and producer of Tlingit and Athabaskan descent. Martin’s breakout role came in “The Magnificent Seven,” (2015) where he portrayed a young warrior. His performance earned him widespread praise and established him as a rising talent. He has continued to captivate audiences with roles in “Wind River”, “Yellowstone,” and “1883” earning critical acclaim. In addition to acting, Martin is committed to amplifying Indigenous voices and promoting cultural representation in media. He has worked with Boys & Girls Clubs since 2015 and has lobbied on Capitol Hill alongside Denzel Washington for funding for Native Clubs, as well as testifying before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Proud of his Indigenous heritage, he remains dedicated to helping future generations of Indigenous talent.
Ernest Stevens, Jr.
Inducted: 2012
At age 15, Ernie Stevens drove a car, worked full-time and considered himself a grown man. His mentors at the Oneida Boys Club taught him how to be a kid again, he says. Club staff provided Ernie with much-needed male role models. They also gave him the chance to compete in sports, helped him develop self-discipline – and convinced him to return to school. Stevens has served as councilman for the Oneida Nation and a leader for the National Congress of American Indians. Ernie was chairman of the Indian Gaming Association and is a respected Native American civil rights advocate who supported local Clubs.
