Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas recently celebrated the graduation of 59 high school seniors at the fourth annual Threshold of Opportunity (TOPPs) event at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

The packed house of more than 400 attendees heard the inspiring story of Chadae Sauls, the Red Oak High School student who is the 2012 Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas.

A five-year member of the Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club, Chadae ranked 73rd out of 496 seniors in her graduating class at Red Oak High School. In the fall, she will attend Sam Houston State University where she plans to major in communications.

“My club family has taught me that failure is not an option, but an opportunity to help me succeed,” Chadae said. “I now realize that if it is to be, it is up to me.”

Born to parents Cheryl and Maurice in the summer of 1994, Chadae has two younger sisters named Alana and Danielle.

As an active member of the Oak Cliff BGCD, Chadae participated in SMART Girls, Heart of a Champion, Keystone Club, Collegiate STEPS, Money Matters, SAT class, Dallas Elevators and UPS Road Code.  She also represented BGCD on the steering committees for the Regional and National Keystone Conferences. 

Chadae attended Lobias Murry Christian Academy her freshman and sophomore years. There, she served as Drill Team captain and was a member of choir, Young Sophisticates and the National Honor Society.

As a junior, she enrolled at Red Oak High School and quickly became active in the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE), Fashion Club, Student Council and Warm Up Red Oak (knitting club). 

And as if Chadae did not have enough to do, she continues to find time to pursue her passion of 14 years — dance.  A student at the Mary Louis School of Dance in DeSoto, Chadae studies and performs tap, ballet, jazz and modern dance.

Chadae is also a member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. — Alpha Rho Chapter, where she has served as recording secretary and is now parliamentarian. This year she was named Ms. Phi Delta Kappa at the annual debutantes ball.