Month: May 2026

A California Virtual Academies (CAVA) student, Francesco, was featured on ABC7 Los Angeles 5pm Segment on his story of being in the circus.

Francesco is a student by day and performs as a juggler as part of a traveling circus family by night.

“We just traveled to so many cities. We normally do Arizona, Nevada, and California, and just to travel and to see new places while you’re having fun and doing what you love most, that’s my favorite part of it,” he said.

The California Virtual Academies student says the circus has been in his family for over two decades, his mom, a trapeze artist who performed with the Ringling Brothers, his cousin Melody, the ring leader, and a hand balancer.

As the doors to the tournament hall abruptly shut, the pressure began to mount. My first opponent seemed to have already planned the first few moves. My mom, scanning the tense atmosphere, leaned closer towards me. “You’ve prepared for this,” she whispered. The problem was I was already overwhelmed by the possibilities on the board. “Start your clocks!” boomed the tournament director.

Since age 8, I have been captivated by puzzles and solving them one by one. But, as time passed, I recognized something they all have in common: They all lead to one definitive solution. I expected life to work the same way, but reality proved different. One day, though, I discovered the ultimate metaphor for life: chess.

When most people picture chess, they imagine a quiet board game played in silence. Two players sit across from each other, move a few pieces, and wait for the other person to respond. From the outside, it can look slow or even simple.

What people do not see is what is happening in the player’s mind. Every move involves calculation and strategy. Chess teaches you to think several steps ahead, a habit that extends beyond the board.

I first became interested in chess when I was 7 years old, starting with a short-page book about chess and then later a chessboard. But it wasn’t until I joined the esports league at my school, California Virtual Academies (CAVA), that I finally got to compete with other students–and that is what drew me into the game.

Since then, I have competed in several tournaments and won multiple open championships. Last September, I placed first in the Under 1900 section of the Southern California Open, a major United States Chess Federation tournament. I was also victorious in the Los Angeles Open Under 2100 section in November 2025. Competing against opponents decades older than me reminds me that chess rewards preparation, focus, and patience more than age.

“One of things that we really believe in is whole person care, what we mean by whole person care is that we don’t just treat just the physical health of a person, we have to treat the entire body, the mental health,” said Muriel Nouwezem, CEO of Saban Community Clinic.

Recently Saban Community Clinic hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Crenshaw Family Health Center, which will be a state-of-the-art facility that will expand healthcare for one of Los Angeles County’s highest-need areas. Elected officials, community leaders, healthcare advocates and local stakeholders attended the groundbreaking and spoke about the coming clinic.

“Every family, every child, every senior, every person in this community deserves access to quality healthcare,” said Nouwezem.

The South Los Angeles area has suffered from a shortage in healthcare with mobile clinics, pharmacies and other healthcare facilities trying to fill in the gap. The new two-story healthcare center is another addition to close that gap in access to healthcare. Denise has been a resident of the Crenshaw District for the past 50 years; she is also a member of the Saban Community Clinic.

“No matter what I needed, I knew that I could go there and get care,” said Denise about Saban Community Clinic. “To see Saban coming to Crenshaw, the community that I love, it’s exciting and it’s very special.

She continued, “I know what this clinic will mean to families here—shorter trips to care, familiar faces and a place where people feel seen, supported and cared for.”

Nearly one in three adults delay or forgo care because of transportation and limited provider availability. Over 287,000 residents in the Crenshaw Corridor lack access to primary care, the highest rate in Los Angeles County. Residents face higher rates of chronic disease and life expectancies up to 13 years shorter than in more affluent areas.

The new clinic is being built on the property formerly occupied by Phillips BBQ. A community member expressed their dissatisfaction with the groundbreaking according to a Saban Community Clinic official. Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA 37) shared what the new clinic will mean for the community and its importance.

“I love Phillips BBQ, I came here as a college student and it is definitely a community landmark,” said Kamlager-Dove. “It is as important that we support small Black businesses—as it is that we support our community’s health.”

She continued, “Saban Community Clinic coming here is important to the physical and mental health of the Black community. We have the highest rates of maternal mortality, diabetes, high cholesterol, amputations, we have to prioritize our healthcare, we have to prioritize having providers that look like us and care about our communities.

“We have to prioritize having more healthcare centers in our neighborhoods so that our people do not have to travel twice as far to get the care that their neighborhood deserves.”

Tommie McMillian, a South L.A. resident, remembers when the property was Leo’s BBQ and supports having a clinic in the community.

“As much as I love BBQ and all the fixins, I know it’s not the healthiest thing for us, so it’s nice to see that something is coming behind [Phillip’s BBQ] that’s better for folks in the community,” said McMillan.

Saban Community Clinic was founded in 1967 as the LA Free Clinic and offers care to anyone who needs it. Saban operates multiple Los Angeles health centers, as well as a mobile clinic, delivering medical, dental and behavioral health services through more than 157,000 patient visits annually. Predominantly serving low-income individuals and families, the majority of the Clinic’s patients live below the federal poverty line.

The new clinic will offer a variety of care including medical, dental and mental health care. They will help with enrolling the community in a healthcare plan and offer pharmacy services. It is expected to deliver more than 24,000 patient visits annually.

“We can take care of the entire body and the mental health, not just physical health—that’s the idea, to treat the entire person,” said Nouwezem.

A California Virtual Academies (CAVA) student was recently featured in the Los Angeles Times De Los section for balancing online learning with life as a fifth-generation circus performer.

The article spotlighted 13-year-old Francesco Caballero, a finalist in the nationwide K12 Talent Showdown, who is currently traveling throughout Southern California, performing with his family’s Caballero Circus. Francesco performs juggling acts, plays trumpet, and participates in the “Globe of Death” motorcycle stunt alongside members of his family. The story also explored the Caballero family’s long history in the circus industry, dating back generations in Mexico, and Francesco’s personal journey overcoming childhood leukemia before pursuing his dream of performing professionally.

California Virtual Academies and K12 were both highlighted throughout the article, including a link to the K12 Talent Showdown landing page ahead of the national finals competition on June 8. Published in the Los Angeles Times De Los section, which focuses on Latino stories and experiences, the feature reached the publication’s audience of 14.5 million readers and was additionally syndicated on AOL.com.

The coverage highlighted how virtual learning can support students pursuing unique passions and professional opportunities outside of a traditional classroom setting while also showcasing Francesco’s dedication to preserving his family’s performance legacy.

Univision 34 in Los Angeles attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Saban Community Clinic’s Crenshaw Family Health Center. The center, expected to open in 2027, will offer:

• 10 medical exam rooms
• 7 dental operatories, including panoramic X-ray capabilities
• Behavioral health services, including case management
• An on-site pharmacy with medication counseling
• Health insurance enrollment assistance

This will be Saban Community Clinic’s seventh facility in the Greater Los Angeles region and a significant expansion of its footprint as demand for affordable, community-based care continues to rise.

The American Red Cross says heart disease is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States. For one Brigham City mother, the warning signs came just days after giving birth.

Cecy Wells suffered a life-threatening postpartum cardiac emergency in 2017 after delivering her child at Ogden Regional Medical Hospital. Two days after the birth, she began to experience chest pain and shortness of breath, which ultimately ended up as cardiogenic shock.

Her heart was failing.

Doctors implanted what’s called an Impella device, the world’s smallest heart pump, to help her recover. It was later discovered Wells had severe blockages in every major artery of her heart.

Nearly eight years later, Wells is sharing her story on Thrive with Kailey Ann to raise awareness about postpartum cardiac emergencies and what she wants every mother to know.

NBC 4 Los Angeles attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Saban’s Community Clinic’s new Crenshaw Family Health Center. The new facility is located in the historic Crenshaw Corridor and will serve a community where more than 287,000 low-income residents face limited access to primary care.

The area is widely considered a healthcare desert. The two-story health center will provide medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services under one roof. It will support more than 24,000 patient visits annually.

Saban’s leadership team, along with community members and elected officials such as Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove attended the event.

For Layne Strookman, this Mother’s Day is about being alive to hold her children.

The Kansas City mom nearly died from a heart attack just weeks after giving birth last year.

Strookman was six weeks postpartum when she decided to take all three of her kids out of the house by herself for the first time. She was dropping her two older children off at school when everything changed.

“And I started to feel this intense pressure in my chest. It was radiating to my neck,” Strookman said. “The only way I can really describe it is it felt like somebody had their hands around my neck, like strangling me.”