Hello, my name is Brian Io'kepa Seda.

I am a graduate of the California Grizzly Youth Academy of 2001, cycle six, platoon four-"Rakasans." I'm here speaking with knowledge, courage and pride about this Academy. I still can't find the words to describe what an honor it was to have gone through, and what this Academy brought into my life. At times, when you are in there, it gets hard and people get discouraged. But at the end, it's a better route towards your future.

I have a lot to thank this Academy for. I thank the cadre for keeping me in line and pushing me through all obstacles, which I would have never attempted without their help.

I want to give thanks to all of the teaching staff for making me a believer in myself and for believing in me as well. Without them pushing me I would never have gotten the confidence to complete school.

And last but not least, thank you to all of the RPM Staff for helping me see my options, and helping me achieve my goals in life.

Now that I'm done thanking everyone, I just want to let people and future Cadets know how low I've been and how I'm a different man after going through the Grizzly Youth Academy.

I was a young boy raised in a huge family on welfare, with parents always laid off or just not giving a crap about life themselves. I was raised around lots of drugs and alcohol throughout my entire childhood, from living in shelters and one bedroom apartments because of physical abuse and the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

Because of the lifestyle I lived, I thought that was the only way of life. I started to run the streets, very proudly selling and doing drugs and trying to stay alive and just live life day to day because that's how the family was doing things. I was so lost I didn't even know who was real and who wasn't. I started to turn on my own family and friends just hurting the ones I loved the most, or at least the ones I thought I loved.

Then at the age of fifteen I lost the most important thing in my life, my grandmother. It was hard to deal with it, I couldn't think of any thing but taking my life. I started to get into bigger drugs and gangs and thought nothing about life but being some punk that was going to hurt everyone.

School at that time meant nothing. I don't know how they kept passing me because most of my grades in high school were F's with a grade point average of 0.8, 1.2 and even as low as 0.3 throughout the year. By the time I arrived at the Grizzly Youth Academy I was two years behind in credits. I had the knowledge of a seventh grader and still thought I was the man. But believe me, my attitude got sharpened up real quickly once life appeared to be bigger than myself.

I was just another boy with a bad attitude to these military men and I could tell that's what they thought of me. I decided that life was too short and I had to do something for myself and stop being like the people in my life. I then made the monumental, life-changing decision to take all that the Academy had to offer, which was way more then I expected.

With everyone encouraging me and pushing me through it, I couldn't do anything but move forward. I learned more in those six months then I ever learned in my life. I once again had a chance to live the life that I was given at birth.

I graduated in June from the Academy and went back to high school. I found out it was harder for me being around the wrong crowd and the same influence. I was stuck again until I realized that I accomplished so much more when I was at the academy, than out here. This knowledge gave me the strength to move forward, and to leave all of the bad influences behind.

It took me a long time to finish high school but I can finally say I did it, and not only have I graduated from high school, I also moved on and pursued a career as a Solano County Sheriff. I can't believe it myself, it's more than a dream come true. I couldn't be happier, and give the thanks and credit to the Grizzly Youth Academy. They helped me turn into a man that I can be proud of. I will never forget all of those people who trusted me and gave me their trust. They believed in me and helped me believe in myself. "Thank you" will never be enough.

P.S. Take care and keep up the good work and thank you for always being there.

Sincerely,
Brian Io'kepa Seda
Fourth Platoon 2001