7th grader fights to save after-school program: ‘We need this. I need this’

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (WJLA) – A middle school student in Virginia is proving that anyone can make a difference regardless of their age.

Diego Vides-Egas has been at the forefront of the push to save the middle school after-school program in Fairfax County for months.

“If there’s no after-school, where are those kids going to go?” he said.

Like other student advocates, Diego took his message straight to county leaders.

“This after-school program is changing lives,” he said. “It’s helping us become better students. We need this. I need this.”

Three months later, the official word said the program has been saved for the 2025-2026 school year.

“Oh, I’m feeling overjoyed right now,” Diego said.

For at least the next year, students will be able to benefit from a wide range of clubs, athletics and academic assistance.

Diego said he has learned a lot on his journey to save the after-school program.

“First off, budgets are hard and I mean very hard, and that our voice matters. You might think that it doesn’t, but it matters a lot,” he said.

Cutting the after-school program would have eased the budget deficit. But it would also have wiped out programs available to all students, which are especially beneficial to those from lower-income households.

Diego’s mother, Diana Egas-Vidas said the after-school program is very important.

“We need to consider that there are some programs that are essential for our kids and for our future,” she said.

Diego’s mother said he is not only getting valuable one-on-one time with instructors thanks to the program, but he is also part of activities like the Asian-Pacific Islander club.

“I when he came and told me, I was like, ‘Diego, do you know that you’re Latino?’ But he was like, “It’s cool I’m going to be able to learn about different cultures,’” Vegas-Vides said.

However, the fight to save the program is not yet over and could come up again next year.

“I think we have one more year to inform more people,” Vegas-Vides said. “I do feel that this year, there were a lot of families that didn’t know what’s going on. So I do feel like we need to inform more people.”

Diego said he’ll be sure to take advantage of the program in his final year of middle school next year.

“Like this year, they added pickleball and stuff like that,” he said. “Maybe next year, they might add a debate club. So I want to stick around and I want to learn new things.”

Because parents and students like Diego have fought for after-school programs, he can continue to use the program to learn things.

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