For two decades, After School Matters programs have inspired Chicago teens to develop their skills and discover their potential. Alumni of our programs have gone on to achieve great academic and professional success in a variety of fields. Throughout our 20th Anniversary, we have been grateful to hear back from many former apprentices who are eager to share what they’re up to now, and how After School Matters made a difference in getting them there.

Martin Macias, Jr. was first accepted into After School Matters Video Production program in 2004, while attending Curie Metro High School. For the next three years, he continued his participation and had the time of his life.

“After School Matters matters to me because it was really the first time I saw that adults trusted me; trusted me with equipment, trusted me to speak my mind, trusted me with responsibilities; and allowed me to invest myself in something that gave me a whole new perspective on life and what I was capable of.”

Today, Martin is keeping quite busy. While at After School Matters, he discovered a passion for social justice which he manifests to this day through his work with Chicago Fair Trade, a local nonprofit group. In addition, Martin works as a producer and journalist for a weekly community news program called First Voice at WRTE Radio Arte in Pilsen. And as if that were not enough, he is continuing his post-secondary studies at Malcolm X College.

“The skills that I learned in After School Matters; both the hard skills like video editing and production technology, as well as life skills like learning how to collaborate with all kinds of different people; allow me to enhance all of the work that I do today,” Martin says.

His commitment to social justice is evident in his desire to bring his own experiences back to his community, and to share his hope with a new generation of teens.

“I feel extremely privileged to have been a part of After School Matters. It was such a unique experience, especially for someone like me, who comes from a neighborhood where these types of opportunities are scarce or nonexistent. I also feel that I have a responsibility to take my opportunity back to my community. Being a part of After School Matters, and being surrounded by so many talented young people, really gave me hope for my own work and for the possibility of social justice throughout the city.”

After School Matters is always thrilled to hear from our alumni. Recently, we distributed an online survey to thousands of alumni, and over 88 percent of those who responded indicated that participation in After School Matters influenced their current job and/or education path in some way.

If you are an After School Matters alum, we would love to hear from you at www.afterschoolmatters.org/alumni. We would also appreciate if you could forward this link to any additional After School Matters alumni who you think would be interested in reconnecting with us.

As for today’s teens looking for an opportunity to find a new path or discover a new passion, Martin says it best: "After School Matters…It’s an opportunity that no teen should pass up.”

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