Alejandro Garcia combines physical fitness with mentorship as part of his boxing program in Alamance County.
By Alex Mills
It was a low-profile but intense effort that began at Cummings High School in Burlington, North Carolina, in 2023. It did not start with a school district program or a sponsored initiative, but rather with a simple student petition. A group of students, drawn by curiosity and a hunger for discipline, made a proposal to one of their teachers: “Can we have a boxing club?”
That was the beginning of what became a revolutionary after-school program for Alejandro Garcia, the founder of Valores Boxing Club. Garcia, a mentor forged from hardship and tenacity, never really had male role models around as he grew up. Yet the few he did know left a lasting mark, something he now strives to pass along.
“When I met Cummings’ principal and he started talking about boxing, it just felt like the right time,” Garcia says. Boxing has never been merely a sport to him. It’s been a path towards self-discipline, purpose and growth.
The club was an immediate success, with more than 40 students signing up. Besides being an opportunity for students to channel their aggression in a positive way, the club provided a place for students to develop new friendships and an overall newfound sense of community.
Garcia puts it simply: “Boxing is just the door we walk through.” Students learn discipline, emotional intelligence and trust by walking through that door. They develop relationships that extend beyond the gym — relationships based on common struggle and respect. It’s the first time some have ever really had a mentor who will listen.
Since its inception, the boxing club has grown steadily, though not without challenges. A lack of funding forced the group to move off campus, but Garcia was determined to keep the momentum going. Twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, he now leads sessions in Burlington through Valores, a grassroots program he founded to empower communities through cultural celebration, education and health promotion. The program fosters unity and well-being while welcoming students from across the county.
The location has changed, but the essence of the work did not.
“We started this endeavor without waiting on traditional funding because that’s what we’re about: community-first, relationship-based,” Garcia says. “Some of the original students still attend, but we’ve had new students come in from other schools as well. It’s an indication of just how much was needed and wanted.”
The students who come to practice don’t just come for the mitts and gloves. They come for connection. For a safe haven. For someone to have faith in them. Practice is greater than drills and footwork, it’s a moment of growth. Students learn how to breathe past frustration, maintain focus when the pressure mounts, and work as a unit to help one another. Physical conditioning is transformed into an aid for emotional growth.
Even as the program itself hangs in fiscal limbo, its heart remains intact. The ripple effect of Garcia’s work can be seen in the students who now come to him seeking advice about college applications, new jobs or how to go about achieving grand aspirations — like becoming a professional boxer — while still helping to support their families.
The program might no longer be at Cummings, but the community it created is alive and well and on the move. And that, above all else, is a testament to its long-term strength.
Want to help? If you would like to donate to help Garcia expand the number of mentors in the program, visit https://bit.ly/valoresboxing. To learn about ways you can get involved, email Garcia at alejandro@valoresnc.org.
Colin Frank, communications student at Elon University, contributed to this story.
About the Author
Originally from Winchester, Massachusetts, Alex Mills is studying finance at Elon University.
