When Jakella Davis arrived at the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County (BGCCC) headquarters for a job interview in early 2024, her attention was immediately drawn to a mural in the lobby. A lone figure lies on the ground, arm raised, reaching out. Another person’s hand stretches to grasp this one. “I was one of the kids who got to paint certain areas,” she recalls. She and her classmates’ small hands painted the mural of people coming together to support each other, creating something beautiful under the guidance of their art teacher.
Now nearly 29 years old, Davis is back at her former stomping grounds as program director for the Naples Nichols Club on Davis Boulevard. It’s a full-circle moment, and the Naples native attributes her personal and professional growth to her time spent here. As one of NCEF’s first beneficiaries, dating to the 2001 festival, BGCCC provides crucial out-of-school services for kids, from educational support through ready reading programs to recreational sports leagues. In 2024 alone, NCEF granted the nonprofit $450,000 to support academic and youth development plans for more than 800 at-risk children in Golden Gate and East Naples. The club provides daily after-school and summer enrichment activities designed to inspire and empower kids; it’s a place to make exciting self-discoveries and thrive, regardless of their circumstances.
The pages of Davis’ formative years are filled with such experiences. From second to seventh grade, Davis, along with her twin sister and younger brother, regularly attended BGCCC after school. The siblings came from a single-parent household where their mother juggled work as a nurse while pursuing an advanced degree; they found sanctuary at the institution. The trio spent afternoons tapping into their individual interests, exploring artistic pursuits, joining the travel basketball team and learning to play chess. The breadth of diverse opportunities made space for Davis to dream big, nurturing her passions and aspirations for the future. “[Without BGCCC], I would have never known how much I had access to or the limits that could be pushed if you just try different things,” she says.
Rejoining the program in a professional capacity feels like a homecoming. “In my family dynamic, we’ve always had to adjust, not knowing if things were steady,” Davis says. “Even with the jobs I’ve had previously, I’ve known they’re not long-term, but here, I feel at home.” As program director, she imparts guidance to the students under her tutelage, emphasizing the value of new experiences, even if they initially seem unappealing. “I tell them, ‘You’re going to wish you’d sat there and learned more,’” she says. Mentoring the next generation holds extra weight these days as she prepares to welcome her first child in February. “Now, I’m really thinking about my child and the kids I’ve been entrusted with here,” she says.
BGCCC president and CEO Megan McCarthy Beauvais says Davis has a unique ability to connect with kids—a trait she first noticed when the program director crouched down to talk to one of her students at eye level. “It takes it from being talked down to, to being talked to. That little switch is so impactful in relationship-building with kids,” McCarthy Beauvais says. “You can teach it, but when you find people for whom it comes naturally, that’s something extraordinary.”
Davis’ journey is a testament to what can happen when a child gets the attention they need. The investment in young lives also creates a sustainable system for the nonprofit to thrive long term, with former students like Davis returning to pick up the mantle of tutelage. Tomorrow isn’t promised, but Davis hopes to inspire the young boys and girls of today, just as the club inspired her—two hands reaching out.