Certified Executive Security Specialist – Executive Protection Training: CESS Class 76

All right. Good morning, graduates, family, friends, people on the live stream. My name’s Ethan White and I have the distinct honor of being the institutional director here at Pacific West Academy. Today is a day of celebration, not just for the accomplishments of the individual seated before us, but what those achievements are going to mean for the communities that they go on to protect. As we gather to honor the graduates of class 76, I want to reflect on why the role they’re stepping into is so profoundly important now more than ever. We live in a world that is increasingly complex. Whether it’s protecting individuals, organizations, or communities, the need for skilled, prepared, and ethical protectors has never been greater. At Pacific West Academy, we believe that providing you with the knowledge and skills to meet these challenges is not just our mission, it’s our responsibility.

The Certified Executive Security Specialist Program is built on the understanding that the work you do matters. It isn’t just about securing a client or a property. It’s about creating peace of mind, upholding safety, and being a pillar of stability in uncertain times. Your hard work over the past 10 weeks, 348 hours of training, to be exact, has prepared you to serve not only as professionals in your field, but as leaders in a critical and honorable mission. At Pacific West Academy, we are proud to be the only accredited institution that offers this program. That accreditation signifies more than just a standard of excellence. It represents a commitment to equipping you with the tools to face the world’s challenges head on. It is this commitment that has brought students from all across the United States to join our program, united by a shared dedication to a higher purpose.

Class 76, your efforts over these weeks have been nothing short of extraordinary. You’ve pushed through rigorous training, honed your skills, and built bonds of trust and camaraderie with one another. And today, we celebrate your success and we also celebrate what that means for those communities, again, that you will go on to protect. And as we begin today’s ceremony, I ask you all to reflect on the journey that’s brought us here and the vital role that these graduates will play in the world. Class 76, you’ve earned your place among the elite. Today is the start of a new chapter in your lives, and we’re very proud to be celebrating this moment with each and every one of you. Congratulations, and let’s begin the ceremony.

Good morning. My name’s Benji Rosenfeld. I was one of the many instructors here at Pacific West Academy that had the honor and privilege of coaching these guys up and getting them ready for their next career. I’m going to talk a little bit about what we do here. We train protectors. It’s that simple. For the private security industry, these guys are all going to go out. They’re going to be executive protection agents, static security, maritime security contractors. Some of these guys will end up being police officers, so on and so forth, and we do a very good job of preparing them for their career. And as Ethan said, we are the only institution of our kind in the entire United States. I got to spend a lot of mat time with these guys. We have the most mat time in the United States for any programs that are even close to ours, 40 hours or so.

Combatives is actually not even a mandatory part of the academy, but we do it because we do think that it’s very, very important. It’s a very good way to gauge the fitness and the character. And it’s never lost on me a couple things. Number one, you guys probably notice I’m a little bit nervous, which is good, which means that I still care about this and I still care about our program, and I still want you guys to have a good graduation and not mess it up too much. And I do love, it’s never lost on me, the fact that we get to graduate right where we do combatives right here on the mats, where we really get to know each other and where I really get to know you guys. I haven’t been able to spar for the last few classes, but I still feel like I really get to know the real you when you’re here on the mats because the real you is not you right now. Right now you’re nice and comfortable, you’re dressed up, you had time, so on and so forth.

The real you is you yesterday during the combatives final, and the combatives final doesn’t end until I see the real you. That’s when I call time. And like I said yesterday, I really didn’t want to call time yesterday. That was really a phenomenal combatives final. I wanted to let you guys fight all day, all the way into the night, but I had to give it a call and it was one of the very few times that I actually had regret saying time and ending the final because you guys really did show up and show out yesterday. I’m going to go ahead and start talking about each student individually, the things that me and the other instructors noticed about each student individually. I’m going to give you guys your plaques. I’m going to try to not say anything too crazy while I’m up here. So this first student, our first student was highly motivated student that came into the program with great previous experience, tremendous physical condition.

Very impressive on the mats and on the range. He had several opportunities to come out and get some field time where he did an excellent job and I actually got to see this student work up close, definitely full of potential. Also impressive in the classroom and just in conversation as well. Clearly very educated, well-spoken young man. Received a great score on the medical portion as well and gave his classmates all they could handle on the mats yesterday during the final. He has the right combination of physical and social skills that clients are always looking for and overall just a great guy from San Diego. He’s one of those guys who can do it all and has a bright future so long as he focuses and applies his training and knowledge to his new career. I hope to see him in the field someday doing what he was meant to do, which is to be a protector. I’m talking about Mr. Alexander Thomas. Alexander Thomas. Oh, here you go. Somewhere.

All right. Look over there. Say Something. Honestly, never saw myself getting out of the Marine Corps and end up doing something like this for a living, but I’m glad I came here, got to meet all you guys from different backgrounds, same as the military and you guys are pretty interesting. Especially where’s Messiah? Especially Messiah. The dude’s like five foot five, but scraps like he’s a six foot three dude with nothing to lose. And I’m watching him toss you guys around on the mats and that’s pretty interesting to see. I’m going to keep it short. For the one person that’s watching me right now, thank you for loving me and supporting me and getting me through this. Thank you to my instructors. All phenomenal.

Whether it’s tangents about literally anything, learning how to knife fight, learning how to dress, keep me on top of my education, whatever it is, very grateful for the institution and let me come through and get a good education and training. Thank you.

All right. This next student, truly excellent student across the board, came to us with a very heavy background and has showed all throughout the course. I had the pleasure of taking this student through his shoot house runs and as someone who has taken well over a thousand students through the house, I can very much tell you when someone has done this before and that was obvious from the first door to the last. Also came in with a heavy combatives background, which was also apparent all throughout the course. And even there, he made tremendous strides. I really feel like he was able to make a lot of adjustments and he’s going to do a very good job applying these adjustments to his new career. He seamlessly adjusted his training and tactics, has a bright future ahead of him, and just an all around great guy that I hope to see in the field someday. He’s definitely quiet, assertive, and in control. I’m talking about Mr. Darian Houston.

Appreciate everything everybody’s done to support me through the entire course. It’s been great getting to know you guys, coming from all different backgrounds everywhere in the United States. Hope to see you guys out there continue working. Appreciate it.

All right. We’re going to refer to this one as Miho number one. There’s always at least a couple. This student made big strides from day one till graduation. Really impressed yesterday during the final where he really gave it his all, which is all we asked for on the final. The combatives final is not a skills test. It’s a character test and he passed with flying colors. He came in with limited pistols experience, but by the end of range week, he was a top performer. Definitely one of those guys you could underestimate by accident, but you do so at your own risk. If he continues his training, stays on top of the job hunt, he’ll become a tremendous asset on any team that he ends up on. Very funny guy, definitely had me going a couple times as he was in the program. Very interesting, well spoken, very intelligent. We definitely had some good laughs, interesting conversations. His instructors wish him well and know he’ll be a great agent.

I’m talking about Mr. Enrique Gonzalez. Thank You. Thank You.

Honestly, it’s really great meeting all of you guys and the course was honestly really great as well. I’m going to miss most of you, honestly, because I’m about to go home and hopefully get a good job after this. So everyone have a great day.

All right. Miho number two. He may be the embodiment of quiet, which I think will serve him tremendously as an agent. It’s not just about being quiet, it’s also knowing about when to be quiet. And that’s what we refer to as social intelligence. When you’re not just a quiet guy, but you actually know when to be quiet. I’m still working on that skill, so you’re going to have to forgive me. He definitely has that down. He also has assertive and in control and determined student, which are the attributes that lead to success in the field. When you get him going, he’s very intelligent, well-spoken man with good social intelligence. And now after the extensive training he’s received across the board, his physical skills are now also on par with the rest of his skills. I could imagine him as everything from a police officer to a private detective. He could pretty much do what he wants in this industry. I think he’ll make a great agent.

I hope that he stays on that path. I’m talking about Mr. Hever Colunga.

So thank you Pacific West Academy for this opportunity. I appreciate the staff and the instructors and all my classmates, which I consider you guys my friends now. Thank you.

All right. This next student, this next student and I had a really great back and forth all throughout the course. Looks like a 90s actor that I watched a lot when I was young. I made sure he knew that pretty much every day, unfortunately. I’m sorry. He brought tremendous physical skills with him into the academy. Very fast learner. I asked him if he had a lot of combative experience because I though he must have trained quite a bit based on what I was seeing, but he said, “No, not really.” Which means he was paying tremendous attention to everything we were saying as instructors, which is always the best kind of student to instruct. Also, did not have much pistol training before the course, yet came up with a great score. Very excellent young man who also has great social intelligence, which I got to experience through our many conversations throughout the last 10 weeks.

Not worried about this young man at all, has a great head on his shoulders. I know he’ll continue his training and become a great agent and have a great career as a protector. Talking about Mr. Jeremy Miller. And a great suit.

Thank you for the compliment on my suit. Yeah, definitely like all the rest of you, it was great meeting you guys and getting the bond with you guys. That definitely helped me a lot during this course. And again, thank you to all the people that are watching me right now who are supporting me from afar. Yeah, I will continue to do great things just like I know all the rest of you will. And have a good guys.

All right. This next student, another guy I had a really good back and forth with and with a lot of instructors as well. Very well liked guy. We could almost consider him a local Angelino, but he had the misfortune of being from Long Beach, so we’re going to have to keep him out of the club. He now lives in the great state of Arizona, but we’re hoping he comes back out this way to pursue his career. Came in tremendous physical condition, ready to learn and impress. Excellent on the mats. I think everyone that went with him yesterday would agree. Put up strong scores in the shoot house and the medical portion. The medical portion has the highest failure rate at Pacific West Academy. That’s where we’ve received the most amount of failures over the years. I’ve seen a lot of guys really not do well, so to do well across the board, including the medical portion is always very impressive.

Has all the intangibles that clients look for in an agent. He was a very bright future ahead of him as soon as he gets himself settled down. He also got to get in some field work while here at the academy and did a great job, could really see the potential. A lot of these guys had some very good opportunities to come out into the field with me. I hope to see him in the field again one night real soon. Talking about Mr. Kevin Butts.

Thank you to all the instructors. Appreciate all you guys from the class and my classmates. I learned a lot from you guys as well. Keep striving to do great things. I would definitely be out here and I hope to see all you guys out in the field. Be safe. Much love guys.

All right. This next student, also an impressive student. Very mysterious. We’re all still wondering where he got such a nice car from. I can assure you that investigation is going to continue even after he leaves. Definitely showed what we’re looking for all throughout the course. Highly motivated and dedicated. I really got to see his character yesterday during the final. He took a good body shot from Matt that he definitely reacted to. However, he got himself together, composed himself and got back onto the mats and gave as good as he got. Apparently he learned from the body shot because he gave a good one to one of his classmates right after getting one from Matt, so definitely a fast learner. So he could take a shot and keep on coming, which is the most difficult thing to teach if it can be taught at all. Still not sure if that attribute can be taught.

I don’t know if someone can teach you how to be a tough guy or if it’s something that you’re just born with, whatever it is, he’s got it. Very intelligent, well-spoken young man who I think will impress in any interview scenario that he finds himself in, and he’s definitely quite assertive and in control. I’m talking about Mr. Kyle McKinney Spitinski. Okay.

Hey, thank you to my classmates and thank you to the instructors and to the instructors. I really hope you guys hear this enough, but I do look up to you guys. I really want to relate to his story with Matt. Remember he told me a story about where you were the best shot between all your friends back in the beginning, but then learning you realized, hey, there’s so much more to learn and going through the firearms course, I, I really felt that that really just hit like a truck. I’m so happy to know that there’s just so much more to learn. I really hope I can apply the trainings that all the instructors have given me going forward into this field industry. Thank you to my girlfriend, Elise. I love you. You got me through it. So it’s been great that you’ve been there for me every step of the way. So I love you. Thank you guys.

And a romantic. All right. Miho number three.This young man was truly a tremendous student. Very, very tough guy. He was also tremendously intelligent. Always had good questions, always paid very close attention to whatever material was being taught. Very disciplined and determined. A great sense of humor, which really helped out on some of those long range days. There’s not really much else to say about this student. He can really do whatever he wants in the industry. He’s going to have a lot of options and opportunity in this industry. He’s quiet, assertive, he’s in control, and he’s also my Miho. I’m talking about Leonardo Avelino.

Well, I couldn’t really ask for a better class honestly when it comes to this kind of course and I really enjoyed the time I spent with everybody here. Everybody taught me something, you know, good to apply to life and definitely plan to use everything I learned from the instructors and from every single one of you to my career. So thank you.

All right. This next student, very impressive individual. Definitely looks the part. I had the misfortune of standing next to him for the class range picture, definitely determined I got to spend a little bit more time in the weight room, you know? Those pictures, they can be very powerful. He’s from New York and it showed and it reminded me that real New Yorkers are just like real Angelinos. We don’t care about the things you think we care about. Imagine an Angelino and a New Yorker spending 10 weeks together and not get in a single Lakers versus Nicks argument about any of that kind of stuff. It’s never happened to me before in my life and it never even occurred to me to get into this type of thing with you. And I guess that shows why it is he’s a real New Yorker. He has the right look. He’s got the right training to pursue his future in the industry.

He also got to put in some work while he was here with us and sure enough, did a tremendous job. I also really want to thank you guys right now who did come out and do all that field work with me and it’s tremendously helpful. It’s really, really, really helps out, especially when we have these big clients and stuff that really require lots of agents and for you guys to make time. I know you’re tired after class, you want to go home, you want to sleep, you want to recover for the next day, but it really speaks to your character when you really come out and I appreciate all your guys’ help, all you guys who came out and helped and you guys who also maybe helped them get ready for all that kind of stuff. So I really appreciate that. I know I’ll see him sometime soon one of these nights and he’s most definitely quite assertive and in control. I’m talking about Mr. Maliek Brown.

Just want to give Pacific West thanks for giving me the opportunity to come out here and do this training. All the instructors, pretty much best instruction I’ve kind of got in a long time. All right. Stepping outside of the box, out of the comfort zone to try to move forward and take the next step up the ladder. All right, so appreciate all you guys, all my classmates. We’ll stay in touch. Keep moving forward.

Nah, I want to thank you for wearing that jacket today too, for not making me look too bad in front of the camera. So thank you very much. All right. This next student, he would be my Miho if he weren’t my age, so we’re just going to have to keep it normal. This next individual came into the program with a lot of previous experience in both the military and security sectors, and it showed very interesting backstory. If you got a chance to talk to him at length about it, very, very interesting guy with a very interesting life story. Definitely a fiery guy with an understated disposition. So it’s interesting to be fiery yet understated at the same time. Maybe the guys he lived with for 10 weeks feel differently, but that’s definitely what I caught up on. He’s got that understated disposition unless he’s cheering for his nephew at the UFC, which I caught him doing during the broadcast of the UFC.

I even got to take a picture and we had a good laugh about it. Very impressive on the range and on the mats. And when I say impressive on the range, I don’t always necessarily mean like how well you’re hitting or how good your groups are. There’s a certain disposition and body language that goes into going through the shoot house. And I can tell when someone has it in their mind that they’re going to get the guy. And this guy definitely had that and I did catch that with other students as well, but that really stood out to me. I could really imagine him doing this thing live. I’m pretty sure he has done it live before and I’d feel very good if he were the one coming to save me or my loved ones. Very impressive on the range on the mats. He did suffer an injury that kept him out of the final, but I know he was burning to get out there and give it to his classmates just one more time.

He’s got to take some time to recover and get back out onto the field and do what he was meant to do, which is to be a protector. I’m talking about Mr. Marcos Morales.

I’m going to keep it short. Oh, thank you to the staff. Matt, awesome dude, Frank. Thank you for everything. Christina, you helped me out like during the whole entire time from point A to point B, all the way towards the end. Ethan, thank you so much. And Banji, bro, I’m looking forward to keep working with you in the future. And thank you guys, man. Like we learned a lot from each other. We went through some ups and downs and, and Kevin, bro, love you brother. All right. Thank you.

Gonna make me cry, bro. Keep lock it up. All right. Miho number four. All right. Now this student and I really had a good back and forth all throughout the course. I remember the first time he walked in for combatives, walked right up to me and shook my hand, just like a nice young man, told me his name was Messiah. And I told him, “You ain’t my Messiah. We’re going to have to figure out a different name for you.” So we talked about it and he assured me that I’ll be calling him Messiah all throughout the course. So that’s what I did. I liked the backbone, you know, so I took it. So definitely the class Honey Badger. There’s always one, and we all know about the Honey Badger. The Honey Badger doesn’t give one, doesn’t he? And I think that definitely describes this individual very well. And it’s funny, I knew he was like that before he got on the mats. I knew it when I met him. I was like, “Okay, I know what kind of guy this is.”

And I was definitely right. I’ve been wrong before, but I was definitely right this time. He’s definitely all gas, no breaks. It’s another attribute. Don’t know if you can teach that, but he definitely has it. Brought good combative skills, which he showed. Very, very good wrestler. He spent a lot of off time with me working different combinations and head movement and stuff like that. And I really like it when students come up to me and give it an extra five, 10 minutes and really work on some skills. And I feel like I got to clean some things up about him. He was a very good high school wrestler. I think he’s got to go ahead and get back on the mats and spend more time out there. You know what I mean? I can’t believe you’re not an amateur MMA or pro MMA fighter, so you got to really get out there. So we’ll definitely give him the Class Honey Badger title. Great range score as well, solid classroom scores.

I know we don’t talk a lot about the classroom very much. I know it’s nobody’s favorite. If the classroom was anybody’s favorite thing, we probably wouldn’t be here right now. So in one way, it’s good that we don’t like the classroom, but in other ways, you know that we do need it. Sometimes you do got to sit down and spend time with the data and read and just like we talked yesterday after the final. He’s one of those guys who a team leader could place in any position and do a tremendous job, one of the most motivated and dedicated students we’ve had come through here. Talk about Mr. Messiah Oliveras. Oliveras. And we look like each other.

I got to bring this mic down, you know what I’m saying? I appreciate the opportunity. I had a pleasure of working with everyone and I learned a lot from my peers and whatnot. And I appreciate the mentorship from all my instructors, the information I gathered from Christina, Jake, and everyone else. I’m pretty sure I’ll see everybody in the field working, and I’m confident in that. I appreciate it, guys. Thank you so much.

Another New Yorker, by the way, not a single LA versus New York conversation the whole time. There is hope for humanity, I’m telling you. All right, this next student, great student, definitely reminds me of a university professor, but he’s no professor. He is a protector, and that showed all throughout the course. He’s another one of those guys you could sleep on if you’re not paying attention, but you do so at your own risk. He showed great math skills and range skills and had solid classroom and medical scores. He’s another young man who has tremendous potential. He’s definitely smart enough to do something else with his life, but that’s not who he is. He’s a protector and his instructors are glad he picked our academy to help put him on the right path to pursue the career that he was meant to pursue. Talking about Mr. Noah Harris. Shalom. Shalom.

Thanks to all you guys. You guys are an amazing group. I wouldn’t have any issue serving with you guys back in the day. Love all you guys now miss all.

So we have three students starting here, Oren, Van and Brent, they’re not here. All great students. Wish you guys were here. Hope you’re watching online. Wish you guys well. All right, this next student, this next student. There’s no one else, right? Yeah, last one. Okay, you’re the last one, right? Okay. Oh no, there’s… Okay. All right. This next student, last but not least, tremendous student across the board, came in with strong combatist background, which showed he did have the displeasure of being my demo partner. Let’s just say he took it like a kuruke, very intelligent, has the right temperament and disposition and apparently a pretty good talker once you get him going, according to his classmates. A good guy to take to the bar from what I understand. All right. So he showed a lot of passion and commitment and dedication to this craft. He can do it all.

And I have to say, it’s an interesting thing when you meet someone who doesn’t talk a lot, isn’t necessarily a social butterfly, but you can still tell these things about them. They don’t have to talk, they don’t have to be loud in order to come off as passionate or dedicated. They just show up and do the job, which is really something that’s lacking in our industry. Another guy you could underestimate, unfortunately for those that underestimate him, he does not underestimate himself and that also shows. Excellent young man with tremendous potential. If he continues his training and shows the dedication he showed here at the academy to his future clients, he’ll be a tremendous success. Talking about Mr. Ryan McColgan.

Say Something. I just want to say thank you to the instructors, staff and my fellow classmates. Looking forward to getting in the workforce and continuing to train. Thank you.

All right guys, well that’s it. I don’t know what it is about the last class, but a lot of times the last class of the year happens to be one of the better classes. You guys were really, really an excellent class. That was definitely the best combatives final we’ve had in a while. I want to wish you guys good luck in your careers. You don’t really need luck though. You are trained, you are dedicated. You came here, you give 10 weeks of your life away from your friends, away from your family, away from all of your… Away from your life, 10 weeks. And you showed up and you really came and you dedicated yourself. It is no small feat to come to this academy and do a semester’s worth of security training. It really speaks to your character. There’s many, many programs that are weekend program, three day program, five day program, two day program, one day range, two day range. There’s all kinds of things like that. One day of combatives.

There’s lots and lots of other programs that you could have picked, but you chose the longest, most accredited, most respected program that there is in the United States. And it really isn’t even close anymore. I mean, there was a time where we had competition and I do respect various other programs and instructors, but sometimes you just got to tell it how it is, don’t you? Yeah. Right? Sometimes you just got to do it. It’s almost New Year’s, right? You guys, be focused when you’re out there. Be serious. You see what’s going on out there. It’s getting a little bit hairy, hairier and hairier every day. Every time you think it’s calming down, something new pops up. You see how that gentleman in Australia performed when it was time to go? He’s a fruit vendor. No training whatsoever, but he found it in himself to go and do what we know that you will do in the same situation, except you’re trained.

We trained that exact situation, didn’t we? That very situation, two, three, maybe a month before this thing. And you saw that yes, you do need that character to go forward, but when you get there, you do need training to make sure that it goes the way that you need it to go. Let’s make sure that when we do that, we don’t get shot a couple times as well. I want to tell you a very quick story. I told you last time that I was here. There was a mass stabbing in London about a year ago and this story really sat me down after this agent said this thing. I really sat on my recliner for a good five minutes in total silence after he said this very, very simple thing. There was a mass stabbing in London, this individual starts attacking this mother and this small daughter, two, three years old, something like that. And this individual starts attacking them with the knife.

There was a recent immigrant from Pakistan who chose the security industry to go in there and work security in London, just kind of walking around doing his job. And he saw the attack and he intervened. He thwarted the attacker. He saved both of the victims’ lives and took out the attacker. And the media came to talk to him afterwards and they started asking him some questions and they said, “Weren’t you scared? Weren’t you scared when you saw what was happening and you had to intervene?” And he said something very simple. He said, “I’m a security guard. It’s my duty to protect them.” Thank you very much.

What’s up fellas? How are we doing? There’s sandwiches back there for you. Those are all for you. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. My name is Matt Chun. I’ve had one of the privilege of being their instructors for the past 10 weeks or so. The biggest thing is I’ve told you guys from the beginning that I do not care about your background. I don’t care what special unit you were from. I don’t care what you did in the military. I don’t care where you came from. I care about who you are today, because who you are today is going to shape the person that you are tomorrow. And every single day you guys came out and showed out and showed me who you were that day and the next and the next all the way until today. Now overall, we are still an academy, so I have the privilege of letting you guys know who our Top Gun is, our second overall in our Gray Man Award. So our Gray Man Award is not necessarily the third overall.

Sometimes it ends up that way, but it’s not always that way. Our Gray Man Award is oftentimes somebody that we feel who is a solid performer, but doesn’t often stand out above the baseline or below the baseline by any means, but kind of hides inside the crowd and seeks refuge in the crowd. Then we have our second, our second overall, which is pretty straightforward, and then our Top Gun Award. Our Top Gun Award comes down to the performance that they gave all across the board based off of essentially their GPA. It doesn’t mean that they, you know, are better than you or any less than you or anything like that. Just means that they did the schoolwork a lot better than you did. It is what it is, right? If we if we all enjoyed school, we’d probably be somewhere else. Instead, we’re here as the rest of our degenerates. All right.

With that being said, what you guys are going to get the second overall and the Gray Man Award are going to receive two two bags with some goodies in it. There’s different things like holsters, belts, all those different things in there. Just a little bit of gear to get you started once you get into the industry. The Top Gun Award is going to receive some other stuff and we’ll get to that here shortly. All right? So to start this off, our Gray Man Award is going to be… This student very specifically, definitely showed out, definitely didn’t stand out too much and didn’t fall below the baseline, but absolutely performed all in all. Very polite person, always down to have the conversation. Every single morning would come up and be like… Right? Every single morning. Very polite, hardworking, and we talked about it being the Honey Badger. So our Gray Man Award is going to be Mr. Messiah Oliveras. Take your time, don’t worry about it.

Appreciate it. You want to say something again? If you can, yeah, please. I cannot.

Hey, it’s all good. No worries. Now our second overall, this comes down to a percentage, and the percentages across the board were close, really, really close. I mean, the, the, the furthest gap between percentages was maybe 3%. Like that’s about how close it was across the board from everybody. So everybody showed out. Now this student is a phenomenal student. Showed up, had great conversations, was always willing to test the different theories that I was putting out and the rest of the instructors were putting out. Unfortunately, last minute we, we heard that he wasn’t going to be showing up, but overall, our second overall is going to be Mr. Patrick Van Vleet. Pat, I’ll ship it to you. All right. Now, our Top Gun Award. This student is going to receive a Sunto core watch. I’ve used these all throughout my military career. I’ve jumped with these. I’ve dove in the ocean with these.

I’ve done a lot of different things with these and mine’s still kicking and running. So they will receive this as well as a plaque that states their name with the Top Gun Award that they can go ahead and hang up on their wall and, you know, take a picture annually and send it in the group chat and be like, “Hi guys, I beat you,” right? Things like that. But overall, this student was a solid performer, showed up with a lot of experience. And what I loved the most about it was that he never sat on his throne of experience, continuously decided to test things out, to learn something new. So overall, he came out with a 96.29% in the class. So the Top Gun Award for CESS number 76 is going to be Mr. Darian Houston. Congratulations, brother. Thank you. Cool, man. If you have Anything you want to say, please feel free. I appreciate it again. Thanks for all the support.

I learned a lot from you guys and that’s what enabled me to be able to get this award along with the instructors. A lot of the things that you guys are teaching are very in line with the previous experience that I’ve had, and I just appreciate everything you guys did and continue teaching that way. Thanks.

Gents, it’s, it’s been fun. It’s been really fun. You guys help us show up to work every single day and allow us to help teach you guys. You guys were safe, you guys were open to learn. Let’s take a moment to really look at what this program is called, the Certified Executive Security Specialist Program. It’s kind of interesting. I want to highlight this word specialist at the end. When you leave from here, I don’t want you guys to just sit on your throne of experience of, “Oh, I did all this stuff in the military. I went through PWA. I got this, sir, all this stuff,” and just go, “Cool. I don’t need to do anymore.” Well, the, the word specialist here, a lot of people think that when they view themselves as, as a specialist, they are like, “Cool. I’m a specialist. I don’t have to learn anymore.”

When in actuality for me to view myself as a specialist in certain things, and for you to view yourself as a specialist in certain things, it’s not about not learning anymore. It’s how much more do I need to learn to continue viewing myself as a specialist? It’s just the truth. So continue to train, continue to learn, continue to practice these things because these are all perishable skills. You are either getting better or you’re getting worse. You don’t ever stay the same. I urge you guys to still go to the gym, still go fight in the gym, still go shoot on the range and put in the deliberate time to enhance your craft. I told you guys in the beginning that yes, this is an EP school and yes, we will be teaching some EP things, but overall, I am here to teach you to be a better protector for yourself and those around you. And if that rolls over into the EP world, rock on, so be it.

Continue to be a better protector, continue to be an asset, not a liability. Gentlemen, congratulations.

All right, we’re almost done. So as we come to the conclusion of this momentous ceremony, I want to take a moment to reflect on the significance of today and the people who have helped make it possible. First and foremost, to the family and friends of our graduates, those that are here on the live stream that have been behind the scenes, thank you. Your support, your encouragement, and your sacrifices have been invaluable. Behind every one of these graduates is a network of loved ones who have provided strength and motivation through every challenge. So today, we celebrate not just the graduates, but also the unwavering support that has brought them here. So thank you. And then to our exceptional instructors, Benji, Matt, Frank your knowledge, dedication and leadership have transformed these students into professionals that are ready to take on the world. You’ve done more than teach skills.

You’ve instilled the principles of quiet, assertive, and in control that define the PWA motto and the foundation of our training. So thank you. And then to our administrative team who are tirelessly working behind the scenes, Christina, our student services coordinator, Marian John in admissions, Omer, who does just kind of a little bit of everything, Andrea, our director of administration your leadership and your attention to detail, that’s what keeps everything running seamlessly. So thank you. All right. Graduates of class 76, you now join the ranks of an elite group of certified executive security specialists. You represent Pacific West Academy in everything you do from this day forward. The values you’ve embraced, quiet, assertive, and in control, they’re not just words, they’re principles that will guide you in your careers and in your life.

They’re qualities that are going to set you apart and prepare you to excel in this vital and challenging field. But let me remind you, this is not the end of your relationship with Pacific West Academy, okay? You’re now part of our family and we’re here to support you and help you see you succeed and grow. Whether you need guidance, additional training, or if you just want to send us an email to say you did something cool, please feel free to do that. As you leave here today, I urge you to carry the lessons you’ve learned and the principles you’ve cultivated into everything you do. This world needs protectors, those who bring safety, stability, and integrity to every situation. So be proud of what you’ve achieved and know that we are proud of you. So go forward with confidence, knowing that you’re equipped not only with the skills, but also the character to make a lasting impact.

You are quiet, assertive, and you’re in control of what you do next. So congratulations, the future’s yours. Go and make your mark. Yeah. But don’t go anywhere. Okay, so…