By Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman
Proud families, uniformed cadets, and local leaders gathered at Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, June 20, to celebrate the completion of Class 35 from Sunburst Youth Academy, a voluntary military-style high school that guides Southern California teens toward brighter futures through discipline, leadership, and education.
Dressed in perfectly pressed khaki cadet uniforms adorned with patches, shoulder cords, medals, and military-style ribbons, to mark their individual achievements, 171 Southern California teens marched in formation one last time, earning their certificates of program completion and a fresh start. Fifteen students also earned their high school diplomas.
The teens left home and moved onto Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, Jan. 20, in search of change, a chance to become a better version of themselves, and the opportunity to earn 65 high school credits – more than a year’s worth – in half the time.
Their journey was not easy.
“You have faced some of your biggest fears and challenges during your residential phase,” U.S. Army Lt. Col. Sarah Rambo, academy director, told the cadets. “However, the biggest fears and challenges you faced were the ones we did not tell you about – the ones that were inside of you. Nevertheless, you faced your fears and emerged stronger and wiser on the other side.”
A Journey of Growth and Discipline
Founded to provide structure, mentorship, and academic opportunity for teens facing adversity, Sunburst Youth Academy combines military-style discipline with a rigorous academic program and emotional support services. Sunburst is a tuition-free residential high school credit recovery school for students 15.5-18 years old. The school is a partnership between the Orange County Department of Education’s ACCESS alternative education program and the California National Guard’s Task Force Torch youth and community programs directorate.
Over the past five months, cadets participated in physical training, workshops to learn life-coping and leadership skills, community service, and intensive classroom instruction.
“The past five and a half months have not been easy, but growth never is,” Sunburst principal Dinah Ismail told the cadets. “You faced early mornings and long, long days. You faced challenges that pushed you in ways that you never expected.”
“Some days, many days, you probably thought it was easier to just give up, but you didn’t,” she said. “You chose to show up, push forward, and bet on yourselves, and that choice has made all of the difference.”
Ismail touted the cadets’ test scores which show an average of 3-4 grade levels of growth in both reading and math.
Many cadets arrived at the school with academic setbacks, personal struggles, or unstable home lives. But for those willing to commit to the program, graduation represents a significant personal victory.
Student Voices: Courage, Redemption, and Hope
Graduates reflected on their journeys with gratitude and pride. Some shared stories of past hardships, while others spoke about discovering strength they didn’t know they had.
“I remember my first week being here. We were taken to a ropes course with the lesson of the day to overcome your fear,” said Cadet Makhy Allen, class president and one of the ceremony’s student speakers, who reminisced during his remarks. “I’m not gonna’ lie to you. I got up there looked down and thought to myself, ‘naahh.’ But with the encouragement of my fellow cadets, I completed it.”
Dressed in a purple cap and gown, Cadet Brianna Garcia shared her tumultuous journey with the crowd of more than 2,000. She bounced through four different high schools before dropping out completely after being told by a school administrator that she would never graduate.
“What no one knew – not even me – was that I still had a spark,” she said. “I just needed the right place to help me find it.”
Garcia, who plans to enlist in the military and then pursue college, earned her high school diploma at Sunburst while also participating on the school’s competitive JROTC Raiders field sports team and serving as the class vice president. She also won a $5,000 small business grant and mentorship from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy to help her launch a beauty and makeup consulting business.
“I had no motivation toward my future,” said Cadet 1st Sgt. Issabelle Arroyo Greene who rose through the ranks to becoming the academy’s top student leader. When her five year old sister asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Arroyo Greene knew she needed to make a change. “She was my reason to dig myself out of the hole I created and challenge myself to something I had never experienced before.”
“It was a tough and tiresome process to get to where we are now, but we got through it together,” she told her fellow cadets. “We’ve gone from being the cracks in the concrete to the flowers that bloom through them.”
Honoring Achievement and Looking Ahead
The ceremony included a presentation of the colors by the school’s color guard, and presentation of academic and leadership awards. Orange County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Stefan Bean, commended the cadets for their courage and discipline and hailed the cadets’ collective 3.8 average grade point average.
“Each of you have the gift to inspire; you have the gift to succeed,” said Bean. “You have the gift to become whoever you want to become. We are here as a witness to that.”
“What a remarkable journey you took,” he said.
Two members of Congress were also there to show their support for the program’s mission and impact.
Rep. Derek Tran, from California’s 45th district which includes Los Alamitos, praised the cadets’ success.
“You chose a path of discipline commitment and personal growth, and you saw it through,” he said. “Sunburst is more than just a place where cadets learn structure. It’s a place where they discover their voice, their value, and their power to shape the future.”
Tran, who served as a mentor to another Sunburst cadet years ago, knows the cadets’ journey well.
“The strength you have shown in completing this program are the same traits that leaders are made of, and I am so proud of every single one of you.”
Rep. Lou Correa, from California’s 46th Congressional District, added, “You showed us, your family, and more importantly you’ve shown yourselves that you can make it.”
A Community Effort
Sunburst’s graduation is not just the end of a five month journey; it is the result of effort from staff, mentors, family members, and the broader community. Cadet speakers acknowledged their teachers, cadre, and academy staff as key to their success.
During her speech, Arroyo Greene asked homeroom teacher Adrianne Beauchamp and Sgt. Judith Garcia, a military cadre member, to stand.
“These two amazing women made this cycle the greatest growing period of my life They put me to the challenge mentally and even physically,” Arroyo Greene said. “They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. You kept me afloat, and I now know how to swim.”
The crowd erupted in applause as Class 35 turned to face the audience after the last cadet crossed the stage. Whether their paths lead to the military, college, vocational training, or employment, the graduates leave with newfound confidence and a renewed sense of purpose.
Ismail reminded the graduates, “Today, we don’t just mark the end of a chapter we celebrate the launch of a brand new story. Class 35 today is about new beginnings, bold dreams and the limitless future that lies ahead of you.”
The Legacy Continues
Sunburst continues to serve as a resource for youth seeking direction and opportunity. With each class, the school adds to a growing legacy of transformed lives and restored hope.
The academy is currently in the final registration steps for its next class, which starts July 20.
As Class 35 funneled outside the church to hug loved ones for the first time in weeks, the pride in the air was unmistakable, a testament to perseverance, discipline, and the power of second chances.
Editor’ note: Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman is with the Sunburst Youth Academy Outreach, Admissions & Recruiting Dept.