The Grizzly Youth Academy on Friday celebrated the graduation of its largest class since the program began in 1998.
The ceremony was held at the Madonna Inn Expo Center in San Luis Obispo, where nearly a thousand families gathered to honor the graduates of the National Guard's Youth Challenge Program.
After completing the intensive five-and-a-half-month program, we caught up with two graduates who reflected on the changes they've made and their plans for the future.
"A lot of us came here because we were making mistakes back home," explained graduate Howard Truong. "We weren't very proud of ourselves, proud of the decisions we made, so we came here to make a change, and it's been a long five-and-a-half months for everyone, and I'm sure everyone has put a lot of effort into changing themselves, and it's going to be really nice to see our families again."
"I personally plan to go to college after this. I plan to go to independent studies as a 16-year-old. I will graduate in March, and after, I will go to Cuesta College, get my master's degree, and hopefully become an elementary school teacher," said graduate Jahleeyah Amos.
The Grizzly Youth Academy is designed to provide military-style structure and support to 16-18-year-olds who have struggled in school due to academic and social problems.
It's one of only three such academies in California.
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