Freshly shaven new cadets fill the seats of Bremerton High School’s arena as they listen to their first instructions (and reprimands) from their soon-to-be sergeants on July 14. They were about to leave for the ride to the Washington Youth Academy.
FALLING BEHIND AND skipping classes at Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, 16-year-old Abbey McDermott needed a fresh start.
After her absences piled up, she was offered a choice: Attend the Washington Youth Academy and earn back credits, or face harsher consequences, up to and including expulsion.
She chose the academy.
“I was never an average student. I always had to push myself to be an average student,” McDermott says between drills at the Bremerton academy, where she was part of a group of 165 students who started the 22-week program in July. “I wanted to come here because I wanted to get away from all that and get the help I needed.”
The Washington Youth Academy is a division of the National Guard Youth Challenge program. It enrolls 16- to 18-year-olds from across the state who have dropped out of high school or are close to dropping out. The residential program uses military-style training, rigorous schooling and mentor relationships to help students earn credits and prepare for future employment or high school graduation.
Mentors play a key role in helping students stay on track throughout the program, and after, in a 12-month “post-residential” program. Mentors are adult figures outside the students’ families, such as teachers, counselors or community members, who give guidance to students adjusting to home life after finishing the program.
Cadets can earn eight high school credits, but it takes tremendous effort to do so. (A full year of traditional high school is worth six.) Of the 145 students who completed the most recent program, 62 — or 43 percent — earned all eight.
The academy, opened in 2009, employs 75 trained staff members, including counselors, experienced military personnel, administrators, cooks and teachers (who are contracted through the Bremerton School District).
Each student attends the academy for free. The cost is estimated at $19,000 per graduate, according to Steven Friederich, a spokesman for the academy. Three-quarters of the academy’s budget comes from the U.S. Department of Defense, with the other fourth from the state in the form of funding from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The environment is strict and demanding. Students, dubbed “cadets” and divided into platoons, start their days at 4:45 a.m. with a wake-up call and an hourlong, strenuous exercise routine, followed by school classes.
As the final month of the program wrapped up in December, cadets looked toward their futures with optimism. Most were excited to go back to school and kick their bad habits from before; others were getting ready for trade jobs, or planning to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces.
McDermott says she hopes to be more independent and well-mannered as she returns to Emerald Ridge this month. This is her fresh start.
-
Read more: How a personal inspiration led to the discovery of other students seeking purpose
Stephanie Manzo cries as reality sets in on the bus ride from Bremerton High School to the nearby Washington Youth Academy, where she will spend the next six months going to school, exercising and volunteering. Homesickness creeped up on Manzo and others in the first few weeks as their environment drastically changed. Cadets can be disciplined for insubordination, not turning in homework or not respecting their peers. They lose incentives, such as time to call home.
Seventeen-year-old Nicholas, left, and Kobe Bravo, right, get their hair buzzed before going through the induction ceremony for Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton.
The first task proves strenuous for most, including Alexander Shepherd. Cadets are asked to go through things they brought with them and explain why they are missing items on the checklist. The cadets had just completed their first round of push-ups.
Christopher Baltran says goodbye to his family before taking an oath and entering the Washington Youth Academy. Throughout their stay, cadets learn to write letters so they can communicate with their families and mentors. One of the most important aspects of the program is the relationships students have with mentors. The mentors are not family members, but often teachers or community leaders who help the students set goals and new life ambitions, and support them during struggles.
Abbey McDermott, center, and other Washington Youth Academy cadets in the Eagle platoon work near the end of the “acclimation phase,” a rigorous two-week period early in the program intended to weed out those not dedicated or disciplined enough to finish. McDermott came to the camp hoping to get away from her environment and do better at school. “I see this as a way to actually see life at its fullest, with the hard parts and the easy parts,” she says.
Members of the Spartan platoon stand in formation for the first time after arriving at the Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton. The cadets are separated into three platoons: Eagles, Wolfpack and Spartans. Each platoon has its own rallying cry and songs to distinguish it from others and to encourage the cadets to keep step in drills.
Josepha Ruiz, right, and Trinitie Sullizan work on homework during class at Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton.
Cadets at Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton line up to be checked for anything in their pockets or shoes. The items will be confiscated, whether they were brought in on purpose or by accident.
Alexis Munoz puts on her uniform that she will wear for the rest of her time at the Washington Youth Academy. After completing the acclimation phase, cadets transition out of their sweats into these uniforms they wear almost every day.
Cadet Moore breaks focus to peer at his sergeant, who instructed them to stare forward until told otherwise during the first day of lunch at the Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton. Moore was called out for not doing so.
For the first time in six weeks, family and friends see the Eagles platoon march and show what they’ve learned at the Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton. Cadets spend Labor Day weekend with family and friends, then return to the academy.
Zahkeeyah Kimble embraces her family after being picked up from the Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton. Her family had not seen her for six weeks.
A Washington Youth Academy cadet spends a moment alone during a break between activities at Camp Parsons on Oct. 18. The cadets spent time outside Bremerton working on team-building.
Aniyah Taylor, center, and others in the Eagle platoon at the Washington Youth Academy had to do push-ups after failing to remain quiet outside the dinner lodge at Camp Parsons on Oct. 18.
Christian Martinez watches a video during robotics class at Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton. Cadets rotate between English, science, math, robotics, video and others, such as gardening, depending on the time of year. On Fridays and Saturdays, two platoons go out to perform Service to the Community missions. The other platoon, assigned to be the “Duty Platoon,” does deep cleaning and laundry.
Khamille Suanes gets excited before the start of the talent show on Oct. 18, at Camp Parsons. Suanes performed in a lip-syncing band with three other girls for their talent act. The talent show is a part of the nightly activities on the camping trip, which included camp fires, races and team-building activities.
Cadets have mixed feelings about graduating from the Washington Youth Academy and saying farewell to their friends, sergeants and teachers.
Cadets put the finishing touches on before graduating.
Karla Carrillo-Silva celebrates her graduation from the Washington Youth Academy at Bremerton High School. Of the 165 who started the program, 145 walked across the stage to shake hands and receive honorary diplomas for completing it. Students earned an average of 7.6 credits, out of the eight credits they could earn, in less than 22 weeks. A full year of high school is six credits. “Truly, each and every one of you should be proud,” deputy director Amy Steinhilber said, beaming as she looked back at the cadets.