 This month James Mustin was an example to our students. He worked relentlessly every period of class. His excellent work ethics and his positive persona made him stand out from a wonderful pool of students here at Long Beach SIATech High School. Like many of our students, James has a story that changed his life. It is a story that stands as a stepping stone for his future rather than an obstacle.
James grew up in Northern California. Early in his childhood, his family decided to move to Lancaster, California. He described himself as a great student who cared about his grades. It was until his parents decided to get a divorce that his life began to spiral out of control. After a few months, James and his mother decided to move to Carson, CA. It was then that life began to get tough on him and his family. He began to feel betrayed by life, so he began to use substances. During high school, his life began to take a path for the worst. His substance abuse got worse, and he began to hang around the wrong crowd. He describes this point as one of his worst times of his life. He had ninth grade credits as a senior in high school, so he was transferred into a continuation school. Instead of better outcomes, life began to get worse for James.
Like many of our students, James knew he had to take action to control his life again. He had heard of Job Corps and SIATech from family, and he decided to take action. It took James many months to be admitted into Job Corps, but he knew he could not give up. He is glad he waited those months because it was a positive turning point for his future.
When James arrived to SIATech, he was not a student with a lot of motivation to complete the program. James said that even though he wanted to change, he did not know how. One of his biggest motivators was his teachers and administrators at SIATech. He described talks with Mr. Stagg and Mr. Estrada as motivating and inspiring. Secondly, the positive environment created at our site allowed him to feel safe and comfortable. Students’ final presentations allowed him to reflect and imagine himself as a graduate.
James is a great example of the many success stories we have in this program. Students like James allow us to reflect on why we are here. We are here to help and inspire young minds and teach them valuable lessons for the real world. |
