Program Highlight: Finding Their Zen: JKL Northtown Academy – CorePower Yoga
Studio Vist
Our JKL students at Northtown Academy in Chicago enjoyed a refreshing wellness experience as they walked to their local CorePower Yoga studio for a yoga class! For most students, this was their very first time stepping into a yoga studio, making it an exciting opportunity to try something new while prioritizing their physical and mental well-being. Students experienced firsthand how yoga can help reduce stress, build mindfulness, and create a little space to breathe amid the demands of everyday life.
It was a wonderful reminder that taking care of ourselves is just as important as showing up for others. A huge thank-you to CorePower Yoga for their continued partnership and helping our students discover new ways to stay active, manage stress, and support their overall wellness!
Student Spotlight: Alexander Rios | 12 th Grade | 4 th Year in JKL
Over the past three years, Alex has been a valued member of the JKL family, and his journey is a powerful reminder of why supportive communities matter. While every young person faces challenges growing up, Alex has had to navigate hardships that would test even the strongest adults.
In the spring of 2025, during his sophomore year, Alex’s life changed overnight when his father was deported to Mexico. The loss was devastating. His father had been the parent he lived with and depended on, and suddenly that source of stability was gone. Faced with an uncertain future and a strained relationship with his mother, Alex found himself living out of his father’s car while still trying to attend school, complete assignments, and maintain some sense of normalcy.
Beyond the practical challenges, Alex was carrying tremendous emotional weight. He was forced to process the heartbreak of being separated from his father, the fear of not knowing what would come next, and the reality of growing up far sooner than he should have had to. At an age when most teenagers are focused on friends, sports, and plans for the future, Alex was focused on survival.
During this difficult chapter, JKL became more than an after-school program. It became a place where Alex could breathe and thrive.
Through JKL, he found trusted adults who listened without judgment, peers who cared about him, and a community where he knew he belonged. He found a safe space in Ms. Woods’ classroom, where he could talk openly about what he was experiencing and know that someone genuinely cared. When life felt overwhelming, JKL reminded him that he did not have to carry those burdens alone.
What makes Alex’s story especially inspiring is not simply the adversity he faced, but the resilience he demonstrated in the face of it.
Even while dealing with uncertainty about where he would sleep, coping with the loss of daily life with his father, and recovering from an ACL injury that kept him away from the sports he loved, Alex continued showing up. He continued participating. He continued encouraging others. He never allowed his circumstances to define him.
Instead, he used the support and lessons he found through JKL to grow.
Through journaling, reflection, and honest conversations, Alex learned that strength is not about carrying everything by yourself. He learned that asking for help is not a weakness. He discovered that his feelings mattered and that it was okay to be vulnerable. Over time, the quiet burdens he had been carrying became easier to share, and he found comfort in knowing that other students had faced struggles of their own.
JKL also helped Alex build something every young person deserves: meaningful connection.
The friendships he developed through the program expanded his world and gave him a sense of belonging during a time when he needed it most. Students who were once strangers became close friends. The hallways of school became filled with familiar faces, supportive conversations, and relationships that extended well beyond program meetings. For Alex, JKL didn’t just help him meet people. It helped him find his community.
The confidence he gained extended beyond friendships as well. Through JKL’s summer internship opportunities, Alex spent the summer working for Hargrove Roofing, where he knocked on doors, made cold calls, and stepped outside his comfort zone every day. Through these experiences, he found confidence in speaking with strangers, developed valuable sales and communication skills, and earned his own paycheck for the first time through his hard work and determination.
Today, Alex has clear goals for his life. He hopes to become an electrician, pursue the training necessary to become a master electrician, and eventually own his own business. His dream is rooted in something deeply personal: creating a stable future for himself and ensuring that his future family never experiences the uncertainty he faced growing up.
Reflecting on the impact JKL has had on his life, Alex shared:
“What I took from JKL over the last three years is the mental health aspect. JKL helped me open up more and understand it’s okay to ask for help. It showed me that people like Ms. Woods are always there when I feel like I have nobody else. I learned how to journal and express myself without feeling judged. I saw other people going through things just like I was, and that made me feel normal. JKL gave me friendships, confidence, and people I can talk to about anything.”
While JKL has helped Alex through some of the most difficult moments of his young life, Alex has also left a lasting impact on JKL. His perseverance, vulnerability, and determination have inspired those around him. He reminds us that growth does not happen because life is easy. It happens when young people are given support, encouragement, and a community that believes in them, even when they struggle to believe in themselves.
