The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence is proud to announce Gabriella Diaz as our 2026 Auction Alumni Speaker!
A member of the BGCL Class of 2012, Gabriella now serves as Director of Legal and Licensing Negotiation at Fidelity Investments. Her journey reflects the lasting impact of mentorship, opportunity, and a community that believes in its young people. Ahead of this year’s auction, Gabriella shared more about her time at the Club, the experiences that shaped her path, and why staying connected to the next generation matters so much to her.
Read our interview with Gabriella below as she reflects on her time at the Club, the mentors and opportunities that shaped her journey, and why she remains committed to creating pathways for the next generation.
Can you share a little about your connection to the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence?
I joined the Club when I was 10 years old, and I graduated high school in 2012, so that was technically my last year as a member. I was there back when the Club was still in the old building, so I’ve really seen the transformation over the years.
When I think about my time at the Club, basketball was a huge part of it. At that age, I probably would have identified most as a basketball player. I immediately got involved in the basketball programs, and that became one of the main ways I connected with the Club.
But I was involved in much more than just sports. I was part of programs like Street Smarts, and I had opportunities to attend summer academic enrichment programs that really expanded my world and shaped my future.
What are you doing now?
These days, I work at Fidelity Investments as the Director of Legal and Licensing Negotiation. I basically review, draft, and negotiate contracts on behalf of Fidelity.
It’s a career I’m really proud of, and when I look back, it’s clear that the foundation for everything I’ve accomplished was built early — through education, mentorship, and the opportunities I had both at home and at the Club.
Can you tell us about your educational journey?
Before college, one of the most important parts of my story is that the Club — and Steve Kelley specifically — really opened the door for me to attend boarding school at Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire.
That opportunity changed my life. To this day, it has been the most transformative educational experience I’ve ever had, and probably ever will have. I moved away from home at 14 to attend boarding school, and that experience completely broadened my perspective on what was possible for me.
After Kimball Union, I went to UMass Lowell, where I majored in criminal justice and minored in political science and Spanish. I was very involved on campus, and during my freshman year, I even worked at the Club on Saturdays.
After college, I took a gap year, worked several jobs, including coaching girls basketball at Lawrence High School, and then went on to Villanova University School of Law. After law school, I moved back to Massachusetts, took the bar exam here, and became a licensed attorney.
How did the Club help shape that journey?
A lot of that came through basketball and through Steve Kelley’s belief in me.
He saw my potential early and had me playing up with older teams. But what stands out most when I look back is that the Club never focused only on athletics. There was always a strong emphasis on being a student-athlete and on being a well-rounded person, and that was fundamental.
For example, in the basketball program, we had to submit weekly progress reports, signed by our teachers. Looking back now, I realize how powerful that was. It sent the message that how you were doing in school mattered just as much as how you were doing on the court.
That perspective stayed with me. Sports may stop one day — they stop for everybody — but your education, your knowledge, and your ability to think and grow are the things that carry you forward and help propel us into careers. The Club instilled that in us early.
"I know I worked hard and earned it, but I also know I had someone in my corner saying, 'She deserves this. She’s going to excel here. I believe in her.' That kind of belief can change a life. It changed mine."
Steve Kelley clearly had a major impact on your life. What did his support mean to you?
He believed in us. That’s what I come back to every time.
He believed in Lawrence. He believed in the kids who walked through those doors. He believed that we were special, that we were intelligent, that we were talented, and that we deserved opportunities that might otherwise feel out of reach. He believed that we were agents of change who could make a real difference in the world, and he treated us that way even when we were kids. He truly cared about us and about making us aware of the possibilities.
When I was 14, I made the decision to move away from home and go to boarding school. That is a huge decision for a kid to make. But Steve Kelley made you feel like the best that was out there — you deserved it. He made you feel like you were capable of stepping into rooms and opportunities that might seem reserved for someone else.
I went to a school where the annual tuition was probably equal to, if not more than, what my mother made in a year, and I was there on nearly a full scholarship. I know I worked hard and earned it, but I also know I had someone in my corner saying, “She deserves this. She’s going to excel here. I believe in her.”
That kind of belief can change a life. It changed mine.
Were there other programs or opportunities at the Club that stood out to you?
Absolutely. I had opportunities to attend summer academic enrichment programs that were really eye-opening for me. One of them was at The Governor’s Academy, where we stayed on campus for a few weeks and got a sense of what boarding school life was like.
At the time, I didn’t fully realize who was making these opportunities happen behind the scenes. As a kid, you just hear, “There’s this amazing program — are you interested?” and you say yes. But now, looking back, I can see how intentional it all was. The Club was identifying opportunities, connecting dots, and putting young people in positions to grow.
It also created a real sense of accountability. We knew that if we were given an opportunity, we needed to show up, do well, and represent the Club with pride — not just for ourselves, but for the members who would come after us.
Just knowing that Steve Kelley believed in me and felt I could go somewhere and represent the Club well was incredibly empowering as a kid. It made me want to do a good job and make a good name not just for myself and my family, but for the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, too. I felt accountable to the organization that was investing in me, and it mattered that I came through.
"The Club helped me understand that I’m not here just for myself. We move further together."
Did the Club influence your decision to go into law?
I actually knew from a very young age that I wanted to become a lawyer. I was probably around 8 years old when I first decided that.
A lot of that came from my mom. She worked, and still works, in the court system for the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Sometimes, when I was younger, she had to bring me to work with her. She’d hand me a legal pad and a pen and tell me to sit quietly in the courtroom while she worked. So I’d sit there, watching trials and observing attorneys, even as a little kid.
That was my first real introduction to the legal profession, and it stayed with me. I saw people who were smart, driven, and making a difference, and I knew that was something I wanted for myself.
I wouldn’t say the Club specifically led me to law, but there could be no law career without the emphasis on education that the Club reinforced in me from such an early age.
The Club also emphasizes giving back. How has that stayed with you?
That has stayed with me in a major way. I think one of the reasons I continue to volunteer, mentor, and stay involved in community work is because I saw early on what it looked like when people invested in me. At every stage of my journey, there were people who poured into me — and that naturally creates a desire to pour back into others.
That’s why I prefer to think of it as paying it forward rather than “giving back.” It’s not charity. These young people are gems. They are incredibly talented, capable, and full of potential. Sometimes what they need most is access, exposure, and someone who believes in them.
At Fidelity, I’m involved in diversity and volunteer efforts, and I’ve mentored students and interns. I’m currently also a volunteer leadership coach with Braven, which partners with colleges and universities to help young people prepare for their careers. None of that feels random to me. It feels like a direct extension of what I learned from my mom and from the Club.
The Club helped me understand that I’m not here just for myself — we move further together. The staff showed me just how transformative support and mentorship can be, and if I can do even half of that for a handful of kids, that would feel like a huge win to me.
How are you still involved with the Club today?
For the past few years, I’ve participated in the Club’s career fair, where I speak with members about my journey to becoming an attorney and what that path looked like.
I’ve also been helping behind the scenes to strengthen a partnership between the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence and Fidelity, with the hope of creating more access to financial literacy programming and internship opportunities for Club youth.
Another experience I was proud to help make happen was a medical simulation at Mass General Hospital, where Club youth had the opportunity to learn from medical providers and take part in a hands-on healthcare experience. Those are the kinds of opportunities I love helping create — experiences that can expand a young person’s imagination of what’s possible for their future.
That’s where I feel I can add the most value: helping young people build career exposure, confidence, and opportunity.
Why does continuing to support the Club matter so much to you?
Because I know firsthand what the Club can do.
It doesn’t just give kids something to do after school. It changes how they see themselves. It helps them understand that they matter, that they are capable, and that their future can be bigger than what they may currently see around them.
Representation matters. Seeing someone who looks like you, speaks your language, shares your background, and is thriving in spaces you’ve never imagined for yourself — that can be life-changing.
The Club gave me that kind of vision and that kind of belief. And if I can help do even a fraction of that for the next generation, then that’s meaningful to me.
Gabriella’s story is a powerful reflection of what makes the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence so special: the lasting relationships, the life-changing opportunities, and the belief instilled in young people from an early age that they are capable of achieving great things.
From Club member to attorney, mentor, and advocate for the next generation, Gabriella continues to embody the impact of a community that invests in its youth and inspires them to keep moving forward — and to reach back for those coming next.
Be there at our 2026 Auction to experience Gabriella Diaz’s story in person — a story of determination, transformation, and the power of believing in a young person’s potential. Her voice, her journey, and her perspective will bring to life exactly why this work matters and why investing in our youth changes lives for generations to come. For tickets or questions about attending, please contact Sarah Hogue at shogue@lawrencebgc.com or at (978) 683-2747 x128