I would like to commend the 2nd platoon staff, counselors, case managers, and all the staff of the Grizzly Youth Academy for their great work helping a cadet of Class 15 through the Post-Residential phase. The cadet was spiraling down into his past life of drugs, unemployment and incarceration. Bottom line: he didn't know how to get himself out of the environment. SSG Holt and SSG Garcia arranged for him and his mother to come back to the Academy for a meeting to help him get himself straight. The cadet was resistant at first because of his fear of reprisal if he left his home boys, but after much input from all of the team, he finally divulged that his dream was to be a Marine but he feared he could not pass the ASVAB. Every person in the room offered to help him study for the test. SSG Holt had him talk to a Marine Recruiter immediately and also arranged for him to stay at a sober living facility until he gets into the Marines. This cadet got his high school diploma while he was here and did very well. As is the case with many of our cadets, going back into the same old environment can be a path of self destruction. This could be the turning point for the cadet, but without the "team" to help him, he would be a statistic.
Thank you.
SFC(CA) Suzy Elwell, RPM Coordinator
Grizzly Youth Academy
