Graduation Spotlight: SIATech’s First High School Location Celebrates the Class of 2025

Graduation Spotlight: SIATech’s First High School Location, SIATech Inland Empire Job Corps, Celebrates the Class of 2025

SIATech High Schools are pleased to honor the graduating class from its SIATech campus on the Inland Empire Job Corps Center! The ceremony will be one of the few Job Corps graduation ceremonies still taking place due to the current Job Corps pause announced by the Department of Labor on May 29, 2025. The SIATech at IEJC graduation ceremony is scheduled for Friday, January 6, at 1:00 pm at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center located at 14075 Frederick St, Moreno Valley, CA 92553.

The History of the SIATech and Inland Empire Job Corps Partnership

SIATech High School at Inland Empire Job Corps is special to our public charter school network because it was our first official SIATech site when it opened in 1998. At the time, SIATech was a program under Guajome Park Academy. Its leadership enthusiastically embraced the challenge to serve students who were on a Job Corps campus. Job Corps is designed to give 16-24 year olds career training and academic opportunities in a residential setting. While not all students live on center, many students do opt to live in the Job Corps dorms. In 1998, Job Corps and SIATech created a partnership to allow SIATech as the public charter high school use a couple classrooms on the Job Corps center to dedicate to helping students earn a fully accredited high school diploma. The partnership expanded to other Job Corps locations and has been a great success.

One employee of SIATech is Ms. Patty, who actually graduated from SIATech at Inland Empire and was a Job Corps trade completer. Ms. Patty has worked at SIATech Inland Empire for almost 26 years! Her favorite part of working for SIATech at Inland Empire Job Corps is “being the first person to meet the students when I register them. Then as they are here, getting to know their personalities and what they want in life. [I love] seeing them actually finish and being able to tell them ‘Congratulations, you are a SIATech Graduate!’ And then finally seeing them walk across stage to receive their diplomas. That is why I have been here for almost 26 years, and I love my job.”  

Serving Students Most in Need

On average, students who enroll with SIATech have been out of school for 18 months. Some students have been unhoused or coming in from foster care. Prior to coming to Job Corps and SIATech, these students were often not working and not going to school. SIATech, along with many other exemplary programs that also focus on opportunity youth, have been honored to help thousands of youth receive the education they needed to earn a diploma and go on to higher paying jobs and career opportunities to benefit themselves, their families, and their communities.

SIATech staff recently reflected on their reasons for working at Inland Empire Job Corps in light of the current pause on the program and its possibility of closing. According to one of SIATech at Inland Empire’s teachers Mr. Nguyen, he explained: “It’s hard to put into words what teaching at SIATech meant to me. Like many of our students, I would describe SIATech as my second chance—my chance to give education another try and to find the courage to hope again. I felt I was making a difference in my students’ lives, and I was exci5555ted—even eager—to grow as an educator so I could help them even more. I wanted to dedicate myself to their redemption stories, to show them they had always been capable of greatness.  The staff welcomed me with warmth and care, making my family and me feel valued—not just as coworkers, but as part of a community. It was the kind of place where I could imagine spending the next 20 years, not just working, but truly belonging.”

A Legacy of Positive Impact on Students

Since 1998 almost 4,000 students have been a part of SIATech Inland Empire's classrooms. These students range from 16-24 years of age. While some of those students went on to earn a GED from Job Corps or directly on to advanced training in their respective trades, high school graduates from SIATech totaled 1,150 diplomas over the years serving the San Bernardino-based school. 

In this past year the SIATech at Inland Empire Job Corps campus served an average of approximately 130 students at any time. This created an environment where students received personalized attention from their teachers. Almost all of SIATech IEJC students are socioeconomically disadvantaged (98%), 10% have learning differences / special needs, and 10% are English learners. SIATech serves students who are grades 10-12. In 2024-2025 on Fall 1 census day, the school consisted of 47% 10th graders, 40% 11th graders, and 12% are 12th graders. SIATech IEJC is proud to congratulate the 42 graduates who went on to earn their diploma this year and will be honored at Friday's graduation ceremony.

The principal of SIATech at Inland Empire Job Corps is Mr. Moseley. He has been a part of SIATech since 2006, which is almost 19 years. “While it was always challenging, working at SIATech first as a teacher and then a principal has been an incredible experience. The people at SIATech really live the mission to help at-promise youth. Every student we get has a story – often tragic and heartbreaking – but they’re resilient, and they’re still showing up and trying to find success when most other people would have given up.  Seeing these kids grow and turn their lives around – and knowing that I helped to make that happen – has meant everything to me. Working at SIATech means you’re helping the kids that need you the most and that your work – your time, attention, effort, and care – is changing the lives of these amazing kids who only ever needed somebody to care and give them a chance.”

SIATech’s High School Framework Meets Student Needs

SIATech, along with its workforce partners like Job Corps, provides a framework that meets students where they are in their lives academically but also provides space to make social and personal connections. In a recent Alumni Survey results, more than 80% of graduates identified their relationships with their teachers as the reason SIATech made a difference. SIATech emphasizes connection over curriculum, and seeks to provide more than just a high school education. SIATech wants students to set and achieve their goals, whether that is in their academics, career, personal life, military, and more.

SIATech staff appreciate the impact and personalized structure that the school offers to its students. Ms. Walker commented: “SIATech at IEJC was exactly what I needed at that time in my life. My previous job was high stress and left me physically ill for over two years. I was about to give up on education (which I loved) when I found SIATech. I was scared at first, but realized that the one-on-one interactions with the students was much more satisfying than seeing 175 students a day for 45 minutes at a time. To say that this job was perfect for me would be understating the fact and learning that this is where SIATech got its start was very comforting.”

Mr. White felt that he has learned more from his students. “Working at Job Corps everyday as a high school teacher taught me more than any college/university class. Here are 2 things my students taught me. (1) Life is hard. Would you rather have 4 quarters or 100 pennies? They're the same, right? Wrong. We're not talking about money; we're talking about friends. Would you rather have 4 friends who always had your back, answer the phone in the middle of the night, be there for you no matter what? Or would you rather have 100 friends who might text back, who might answer when you call, who you might talk to once a couple months? 4 quarters is better than 100 pennies. (2) Effort and Attitude. If you want to change your life, give your best effort in anything and everything you do. If you want to change your life, have a great attitude and if you can't, give the best attitude you can that day and try again the next day. Give 100% of your effort and attitude in everything you do, and you will see your life change for the better."

Congratulations to the Class of 2025 Graduates from the SIATech at Inland Empire Job Corps!

The SIATech at IEJC graduation ceremony will be scheduled for Friday, January 6, at 1:00 pm. It is sure to be an emotional event as our students, graduates, and staff grapple with what the new realities may be due to the Job Corps pause. Regardless of what happens with Job Corps, we hope all can take comfort in the hundreds of lives that have been transformed because of their time with SIATech’s caring staff and the incredible job training they received at the Inland Empire Job Corps. Make us proud, graduates! We can’t wait to see what you do next.