By Tech Sgt. Crystal Housman
Sunburst Youth Academy’s Class 36 seniors took a step toward their future careers during a recent visit to Working Wardrobes in Santa Ana, where professional stylists helped each cadet select a full head-to-toe interview-ready outfit.
The visit served as the capstone to Sunburst’s weeklong ACCESS Title 1 Career Success curriculum. Twenty-eight seniors, each soon to earn their high school diploma or GED, completed a workplace-readiness workshop before meeting one-on-one with volunteer stylists to build their first professional ensemble.
The cadets moved onto the Sunburst campus at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, in July with only running shoes, gray sweats, black t-shirts and basketball shorts. They’ve since earned a cadet uniform and military-style decorations to add to their clothing ensemble. Dress clothes were the next step.
At Working Wardrobes, male graduates were fitted for life after Sunburst. They selected suit pants, jackets, dress shirts, ties, belts, socks and dress shoes, while female students selected dresses, pantsuits, shoes, jewelry, purses and accessories, all curated to fit their style, size and career goals.
Working Wardrobes Director of Client Services Bianca Herrera said the collaboration with Sunburst offered a powerful moment of transformation.
“What I think is so great about this program is, you all have been really preparing them for what’s to come. What we get to see is their individuality come out,” Herrera said. “When they go through the process of seeing themselves in a way they hadn’t before, you start to see that sort of light and confidence come in.”
She added that clothing can unlock a sense of future possibility for young adults. “The visual is the part that people remember when they look in the mirror. Now they know what’s possible.”
Cadets experienced that shift firsthand. Senior Noah Martinez said his stylist immediately understood his vision. “I found a nice suit that looked great on me and that fitted me,” he said. “The first suit I tried on, I stuck with it. I got a really nice tie, and she was really helpful and welcoming. It was just a really nice experience.”
Seeing himself dressed for success in a gray suit, lavender printed shirt and floral tie, hit differently. “I felt really good and confident about myself, and I knew when I was in the mirror that this was the suit that I wanted to wear,” Martinez said. He plans to use his suit for job interviews or formal occasions.
Senior Reginaldo Rodarte, who selected a navy suit said the experience was both surprising and exciting. “I found a three piece suit, and it felt pretty good,” he said. “When you put it on… yeah, I look professional.”
Rodarte said working with his stylist helped him explore different possibilities: “We tried various options. It was pretty fun.”
Working Wardrobes outfits nearly 500 young adults each year as part of its mission to remove barriers to employment. Herrera said the heart of the program is dignity and empowerment. Both values align seamlessly with Sunburst’s approach to preparing students for life after graduation.
“It’s special when people say things like, I need to rethink the way I walk with these clothes,” Herrera said. “I have to act and function differently because this is a different me.”
For Sunburst’s seniors, that “different me” is just weeks away. Class 36 is scheduled to graduate Dec. 12.
Sunburst Youth Academy is a tuition-free residential leadership academy operated in partnership by the California National Guard and the Orange County Department of Education’s ACCESS program. The academy is designed to help Southern California teens build life skills, recover high school credits, and transform their futures through structure, opportunity, and support.
Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman is with Sunburst Youth Academy Outreach, Admissions & Recruiting Dept.