Alexandra is 11 years old.  She is a sixth-grade student at Jackson Middle School.  In the middle of her fifth-grade year, she started to refuse to attend school.  Her family couldn’t understand why.  Then, her mom decided to move her to another school and try counseling, but that didn't work either.

During the first months at Jackson, she refused to go to her classes.  Alexandra spent the school day in the counselor's office.  After trying different strategies to convince her to attend class, Alexandra was invited to visit the Operation Xcel afterschool program for 30 minutes.  As time passed, 30 minutes expanded into 2 hours.  Alexandra began enjoying the program and started to share with her teachers and classmates.

Operation Xcel gave her the opportunity to make up her missing assignments and gain a better understanding of the topics she had missed.  After a couple of weeks, Alexandra became more confident about herself and being around teachers and classmates. Little by little, she started going to class during the school day. 

Based on the last report from her teachers, the Operation Xcel environment helped Alexandra overcome her fears and emotional health.  She is no longer apprehensive to attend class.

Operation Xcel celebrates Alexandra’s success, while we continue our mission of promoting connections between school, families, and the community.