Afterschool Hours: Redwood XL Opening Doors to Success for All Students

Rangers Explore Redwood’s XL After School Program as they share its impact on them, and the Ranger Community with their different student career pathways.

By Solomon Burciaga

Throughout the day Redwood has many extracurriculars and activities taking place which contribute to Redwood’s success. Orchestra, Choir, and Band working on their music, dancers meticulously working on their choreography until perfection, ASB working hard for all of the student body to show school spirit, Link Crew creating events to make our freshmen more included, and hundreds of more activities.

All of this simultaneously takes place with just the short six hours of the day students attend school. But there is so much more that happens after school hours.

VUSD offers an Afterschool Program called XL, which works every day after school to provide equal opportunities to all students regardless of their background.

 Christian Araujo, Redwoods Expanded Learning Site Director, is the head of the afterschool program. Araujo works behind the scenes in organizing events, and filling out all the proper paperwork that needs to be done while also being a positive role model for students.

He says “I absolutely love my job. I like interacting with everyone as much as I like doing the paperwork, interacting with students after school helps make the time fly.”

One event he planned was the XL career day on November 11th, 2023. Arajuo’s goal for the event was to expose students to as many pathways as possible. He says “Most students are aware of pathways to four-year universities, but we want to make sure you know that there are different options.”  

One of the most notable pieces of this Program is that it’s absolutely free. Funding is provided by the state and the school district which means that there is no fee in order to use any of the resources provided. 

XL also has other programs and clubs happening, one of them being XL Hip-Hop. The club operates on Tuesdays and Fridays in the cafeteria right after school, led by Redwood Alumni Isaac Saesee. He also commonly choreographs for Dance Force and the Hip-Hop class.

Kyndall Correia, ’24, entered the world of hip hop this year joining both the class and the after-school program. She says “I really like it, it’s so fun and I’m meeting new people.”

Correia shares her love for the class as it helps her build new skills and techniques. She says ” Even though I just started hip hop I can already see a change in my dancing.”

XL also provides academic assistance for students who need help with their classes. From 3:50-5:50 tutors are available to help students. Evany Delgado, ’24, is one of these tutors. This is now her second year working. She says “I really enjoy my job, it’s really flexible with my schedule for cheer.” 

Delgado enjoys how she could make a positive impact at school by helping her peers and their grades. She also loves her bosses as she says “They’re really down to earth, they’re chill.”

XL does not only have physical activities but also has clubs that challenge the mind. Mr. Rojas oversees the XL chess club in his classroom after school. Playing for fun after school is not all that they are limited to, they also occasionally go to tournaments like in Clovis.

Rojas says that he started the chess club because he has always enjoyed the game and “it’s a stress reliever and a stimulant for the mind.” Rojas is very invested in his club as he spent his own money in providing for the chess boards and chess pieces. 

“I love chess, from one moment it’s a game and then the other it becomes a battlefield,” says Rojas.

The XL program has a variety of different clubs from Esports and Dungeons and Dragons to Cafe and Auto Work. Regardless of sudent interest, there is a place for everyone in the XL Program.

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