Lincoln-Way North

Twenty years ago Ken and Colleen Braid, the founders of the J. Kyle Braid Leadership program, were faced with a tragedy that is every parent’s nightmare, the death of their only son Kyle. Kyle was an amazing athlete and student. He excelled on the football field, as well as in the classroom. His intangible characteristics such as his kindness, helpfulness, and compassion made him a stand-out kid. Unfortunately though, during his sophomore year his football coach advised him to become bigger, faster, and stronger in order to be a starter for the upcoming varsity season. Kyle decided to turn to anabolic steroids in order to get the job done. In a fit of rage one afternoon, Kyle ended up taking his own life.

 

Ken and Colleen, being the amazing people they are, decided to use their son’s death not as a tragedy, but a way to make the world become a better place. They knew they wanted to help teenagers, but were unsure how. While on a trip to Colorado to visit some old friends, the Braids stumbled across a huge plot of land tucked into the mountains of Colorado Springs. Right then they knew they wanted to create an organization to help teens that are just like Kyle, great students on and off the field, and the J. Kyle Braid Leadership foundation was born.

 

The J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation, or otherwise known as JKB, has impacted and molded strong leaders into becoming better helping adults. Ken and Colleen designed a leadership program that took sophomore boys and girls who were nominated by their coaches and already seen as a leader in the eyes of their peers, out of their comfort zone and into the mountainous terrain of Colorado for a week in order to help them realize their full potential. Two boys and two girls from each school were chosen after a very intense interview process. Twenty total boys or girls from all over attended the ranch on separate weeks. There the groups participated in team building activities such as white water rafting, horseback riding, paintballing, and a ropes course that tested each kid mentally and physically. They also spent around thirty-five hours in an actual classroom being taught the ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens,’ as well as refusal and helping skills. The groups performed a lot of role playing in order to take all they have learned and completely act it out. To say the week changed lives would be an understatement. It started with twenty complete strangers and by the end they became a close-knit family. The memories and experiences at the J. Kyle Braid Leadership ranch will last forever in the minds of the teenagers that were grateful enough to be chosen for this opportunity. The week seemed frustrating at times with the different challenges, but the feeling of accomplishment that came when finishing a task was unlike any other emotion. It really was a physically, mentally, and emotionally draining week and one that will never be forgotten. The teens not only grew as a group, but grew individually as well. They learned about strengths, and weaknesses, and how they can make their community a better place. Along with the Varsity Club at Lincoln-Way North, the students participate in a wide variety of volunteer and leadership activities.

 

Unfortunately, the spring of 2014 will be the 20th and final year of the ranch's existence. However, the skills, friendships, and memories will last with every memeber of the JKB family for the rest of their lives.

Only two male and two female leaders are able to attend the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Ranch. The staff at North in charge of sending students to the ranch felt there were more than four deserving leaders per grade in the school. Therefore, Varsity Club was created as a leadership organization that reaches even more students because of the wide variety of people that are involved. The club consists of about twelve boys and twelve girls all of whom participated in the selection process to attend the ranch. Varsity Club meets monthly where they discuss the oppurtuinities available for helping make Lincoln-Way North and the community they live in a better place. Lincoln-Way North's first principal Dr. Michael Gardner felt Varsity Club was an appropriate title to name the club considering the jump from sophomore year to junior year is when students begin their respective varsity sports.

 

The skills learned at the ranch do not just affect the students who attend the ranch. Members of JKB take what they have learned at the ranch and share it with the members of Varsity Club. From there, the organization as a whole pays it forward by volunteering with different programs and leadership opportunities. Last year Lincoln-Way North’s program volunteered at the Special Olympics held at Lincoln-Way Central where the kids assisted the other athletes at each event. They also made fleece blankets for the local children’s hospital around Christmas time in order to brighten up the lives of the ill patients. The program also visited an animal shelter last year where they walked the dogs for a couple of hours in order to help the other volunteers since there were so many animals that needed attention. JKB and Varsity Club are instituted at North in order to help teens make a difference not only in their school and with peers, but within their community as well. All memebers are highly respected by their teachers and classmates at Lincoln-Way North High School.