When he came to the United States at age 9, Sapphire Jack, now 16, recalled, “The hardest thing was my accent. I was made fun of. They called it ‘broken English.’ I got into a couple of fights. I learned to ignore it.”

The Rotary Club of Albany held its 34th Annual Youth Recognition Awards this week to honor youth who otherwise may not be celebrated by the community.

Students from childcare agencies were honored by the Rotary Club of Albany with Youth Recognition Awards on Wednesday.