Jabez Caraballo poses for a photo in Lexington, Kentucky on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Isabella Sepahban/The Watchdog

Jabez Caraballo didn’t know how many students would show up.

As he stood in the theatre of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, working on signs he and others would later use for over an hour that afternoon, Caraballo and his fellow classmates waited for the clock to hit 2 p.m.

Finally, the time arrived. As Caraballo walked out of the theatre, he noticed other students starting to gather.

What started as a group of 30 soon grew to over 250 students, many with their own handmade signs.

These students were here to participate in a school-wide anti-ICE walkout, led by Caraballo and some of his classmates.

Changing generations

Caraballo said a fellow classmate came up with the idea of the walkout and came to him for help arranging it.

The president of his high school’s Latino Outreach Leadership group, Caraballo said he was immediately interested and got to work, helping create social media posts and talking to school administrators in preparation for the walkout.

“I think that when we use our voices for something powerful, it can really change generations,” Caraballo said. “You can do anything if you have that drive and that motivation.”

The youngest of ten children, Caraballo said he owed much of his drive and motivation to the lessons his parents taught him growing up.

“Seeing my parents tackle leadership with such dignity and grace and seeing them do it in such a way that was about lifting people up, made me be like, ‘Hey, I think I can do this,’” Caraballo said.

Jabez Caraballo poses for a photo in Lexington, Kentucky on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Isabella Sepahban/The Watchdog

Although he enjoys volunteering and leadership roles, the junior said dealing with negative responses from those who oppose what he believes in can be hard to recover from at times.

“Leading is not easy, it’s a difficult thing. Sometimes it can be lonely because everyone always expects you to be A-OK,” Caraballo said. “But one of the things that I’ve learned to rely on is my faith and rely on my family.”

Growing up with his father as a pastor helped lay the foundation Caraballo said he bases his leadership on, such as reacting to hatred with peace instead of violence.

“How can you say that you love God if you don’t love your neighbor?” Caraballo said. “Regardless of your views, your beliefs, compassion and kindness are always stronger than hate.”

Making a change without a vote

Although Caraballo is not old enough to vote in this year’s local election, he said he doesn’t let this stop his involvement within his community. In fact, Caraballo said he relies on four principles to help amplify his voice as a young student in Lexington.

First, Caraballo likes to be informed. 

“I like to know who the candidates are, what they’re running on, their positions on everything,” Caraballo said. “And selecting, even if I cannot vote, the candidate who greatest aligns with my interests, my values and everything.”

Second, he likes to get involved. Whether it be canvassing or educating his friends on political issues, just getting a single person to go out and vote, Caraballo said, is a win.

“I may be young, but I am not unable,” Caraballo said. “I am able.”

Third, Caraballo likes to help those around him in the most “direct way possible,” such as helping his parents order their absentee ballots, or sitting with them and educating them on different political candidates.

And fourth, Caraballo said, is setting up voter information tables and registration drives.

“I think that is kind of tied into getting involved,” he said. “But even if it isn’t getting directly involved with a specific campaign, just getting people out there and using their voices.”

Students walk during an ICE related walkout at Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Ky, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Sydney Novack/The Watchdog

What’s next?

During the second week of February, six Fayette County high schools participated in anti-ICE student walkouts. Caraballo and his classmates at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School were the first.

Although Caraballo hopes to have a career in civic law and run for office one day, for him, it’s the change and support within one’s community that he believes can have the biggest impact on others.

“You don’t have to be known by many to cause a great impact,” Caraballo said. “At the end of the day, even if you impact real lives and change those lives forever, you’ve done a good job.”