Make the Most of the Time You Have

Written by Ja’nique Jules

Spoken by Aly Betances

A junior at Temple University and the daughter of Alex Sr. and Monica Rios, Aly Betances studies Tourism and Hospitality Management, with a concentration in event planning. A lot of how she spends her time in her college reflects directly on how she grew up as a Betances, but especially helping in the gym. She is a member of the Dean’s Council, Event Planning Association, and is an ambassador for the university. In addition to this, she also holds two jobs and an internship and assists with Star City while at school. Aly is active both in college and in her Reading community, which is still very much her home. She stated: “I’m the youngest of four, come from a very big family, and from a young age I was taught to always give back in any way that I can.” 

Aly was raised in Reading for the early years of her life, and then she moved to Wyomissing. In high school, she focused on many different clubs and organizations such as the Interact club, the volleyball team, and the Honors internship program. She also got a head start on some college classes while in high school. Although she moved out of Reading at an early age, due to some of her family still living in the city and her frequent help at the gym, she was still in the city many times. She talked about how a lot of people don’t get to see the city for what it is, but rather just see the city on the surface of what the news and others report it to be. “You get a different perspective of the city when you are constantly there.” She explained, “I would go to school from seven to three and then either go straight to work or go right into the gym and volunteer. So that was at least three-five times a week.” 

Star City Boxing opened when Aly was about 15 years old. She explained that when her father first mentioned that he wanted to open the gym, she was very excited and wanted to know how she could help. Since then, she has been extremely involved in the gym operations. When she is in town, she works at the front desk, checking members in, making sure gym operations move smoothly, and discussing with parents about the memberships. For their previous fundraiser, “I was there basically right behind my mom and my dad figuring out the details, contacting people, tracking sponsorships, making fliers, making sure the t-shirt orders are good. Helping any way that I can because I know it is a boatload of work. They're doing this because they believe in the impact Star City can make.” Aly admires her parents and their work with Star City, and “seeing their dedication and sacrifice motivates me. If they're doing this, I can too.”  

“Members say how much they love Star City. They're so thankful for Star City. What it does for them, for their life, the impact it makes. Either the member or a parent coming in and just thanking Star City for existing.” Aly explains that this is what stands out to her as being memorable in her eyes of the gym. She told the story of a car wash fundraiser that Star City had back a few years ago. They had a dunk tank and music, and it was all donation-based and the proceeds went to gym operations. “People were like ‘Oh, what's this for?’ ‘Oh my gosh, this is so great. Here. I'm going to go call my friends.’” She explained that they were all very generous and wanted the event to be successful. And it was good to see the boxers working hard together for a common goal, to make the gym better. On the day of the event, they ran out of towels and sponges, so she went to the local car shop nearby. “And I said, ‘I need more sponges and rags.’ And he said, ‘Oh are you from Star City?’ And I responded ‘yeah, we need more rags’ and he said ‘it's on us. Don't worry about it. I hope you guys have a successful event. Thank you for what you do for the city.’”  

“The biggest and maybe only challenge would be knowing the sacrifices that the team of Star City (coaches, volunteers, etc.) - especially my parents - have made for the gym.” She explained that as the gym is a nonprofit, they rely on sponsorships and donations for a lot. She recognizes that it is hard work, but nonetheless, it is worth it.  

The gym impacts Aly in other ways. “It made me more grateful for what I have. It makes me do more acts of service in my everyday life. And it motivates me to stick to my goals.” The art of boxing requires a lot of discipline, and she stated that seeing the discipline and the hard work that the boxers and coaches put into the gym motivates her to do what she needs to do. “So, if I set my mind to something I'm going to do it, if I have a goal, I ask, ‘How am I going to accomplish it?’” Aly explained that she wishes that the gym had more awareness so that it could have a bigger impact on more people. The impact that the gym has now, nonetheless, does not go unappreciated by her. “Positive, Inspiring and Resilient” are the words that she used to describe the gym. 

“Life is short, you have to make good decisions and make the most of the time you have” is a lesson Aly believes she learned from involvement with Star City. And she’s proud of it.  

“Star City is here for the long term. It's not a quick short-term decision. Star City is more than boxing. It is a safe haven for all types of people. I'm proud of it. I'm proud to be a part of it. I know the difference it makes and the difference it will make in the future.”