Mindfulness has been spreading throughout the Hinsdale community, thanks to the recently founded non-profit organization, Chase Light. Chase light is currently run by a board of eight Hinsdale Central Students. With the goal of providing the community with confidential health and support education; members on the board have committed themselves to enhancing individuals’ mental health and belonging in the community.
The mission of Chase Light is to create a peer network to help navigate the Hinsdale social community and provide mental health support to one another. With students in nearby areas suffering with social and academic pressure, Chase light is there to support people through mental health crises.
This organization was originally founded in 2024, by Hinsdale Central alumnus Rami Azim, Zara Lateef, and Molly Andrzejewski.
“I co-founded Chase Light with the goal to build a community where well being is prioritized…with this goal in mind we constructed a website, got a feature on a radio station, and held a variety of events to bring everyone together,” said Rami Azim, a student at UIC, and a founder of Chase Light.
This organization was featured on the Zen Parenting Radio station where the founders spoke on their motives, accomplishments, and game plans for the future.
To unite the community Chase Light has held several events, each giving students in the community opportunities to connect with each other while spreading positivity to the community around them. One popular activity has been the “Letters of Light” event, where students met at the Hinsdale Public Library to write positive letters out to encourage students with their upcoming finals.
“I was very happy with the turnout, it was nice to see students want to support other students through uplifting messages during a stressful time. That is the exact community we want to build with Chase Light,” said Sherine Nehme, a senior board member.
Another popular event held was a Movie Night this past summer. To celebrate the end of the year, a cute movie night was set up in the backyard of Vice President Ila Rao’s house.
“That night was so fun. I got to communicate with my peers and we had a great time, it was an amazing stress reliever after the long school year we endured. The speeches on maintaining a strong mindset truly inspired me,” said Anjali Srinivasin, a senior.
Chase light will continue to grow as a non-profit organization in the Hinsdale area, promising to shine light on those who need it most and inspire lasting change within the community.
Interested in supporting and attending Chase Light Events? Visit their website to be updated on current events.