Pacific West Academy Graduation Class 72 May – July 2025

Graduates, friends, family, everybody on the live stream as well. My name’s Ethan White and I have the honor of being the institutional director here at Pacific West Academy or PWA. And today’s a day of celebration, not just for the accomplishments of the individuals that are seated before us, but for what their achievements mean for our communities, our country, and the world. As we gather to honor the graduates of class 72, I want to take a moment to reflect on the role they’re stepping into that’s 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 PWA, 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 many weeks, 348 hours of training, to be exact, has prepared you to serve not only as professionals in your field, but also as leaders in a critical and honorable mission. At Pacific West Academy, we are proud to be the only accredited institution that’s offering this program, and that accreditation signifies more than just a standard of excellence. It’s 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 72, 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, but we also celebrate what that success will mean for the people and the communities that you’re going to go on to protect. As we begin today’s ceremony, I ask you all to reflect on the journey that has brought us here and the vital role that these graduates will play in the world. So class 72, you’ve earned your place among the elite, and today is the start of a new chapter in your lives, and we’re really proud to celebrate this moment with you. So congratulations, and let’s begin the ceremony.

So just to let you all know, I’m Benji Rosenfeld. I’m one of the instructors here. I always get a little bit nervous before I do this because it is kind of a big deal for everyone involved. It also lets me know that I still care. So that’s another one there. This class in particular was a really, really excellent class. We have a lot of guys who are just ready to go. We have guys who are ready to go before they got here, but they’re just even a little bit more ready. So our course is very comprehensive. We do everything from driving to medical, to the range, to combatives. I think it’s very poetic that we do this graduation here where our mats are usually set up because I feel like this is where we really get to, get to know each other. I say it every class, but someone told me one time that if you really want to know someone, you should fight them. And I think that there is a lot of truth to that.

Don’t fight everyone that you want to get to know, but it is definitely a good environment where I feel that I get to meet the real you. At the range, we can only get so real with it. Here on the mats, we get pretty close to realism, at least as to how you’re going to be feeling during these moments. You start to doubt yourself, you’re tired, your lungs hurt, parts of your body hurt that you didn’t think could hurt, but you find a way forward. And that’s something that we’re going to have to do in our jobs, but also in life generally. So this class was very exceptional in that way and I’m going to talk a little bit about each of them. There’s 15 of them, so get comfortable and I tend to talk a lot. Also guys are switching up things on me. I have Rhylin switching up his hairdo on the, on the very, on the very last day. And that really kind of throws me off a little bit.

So I’m going to do my, I’m going to do my, I’m going to do my best up here. Okay, so I’m going to get into the first student. So this student demonstrated excellent professionalism, high aptitude for security work as a whole. He came into the program with a lot of previous experience, which really shined through on the range and the FTXs. And you know, the previous experience thing, that can be a blessing or a curse. It’s usually a blessing for the person with the experience, but if you’re this person’s instructor, it can very often be a curse. But in this instance, this student really allowed us to coach him and really allowed us to show him what it is we do from a security perspective. So he was really able to take his previous experiences and sort of mold them and shift them into what he needs now, which is to be a high level security agent. So he could excel as a close protection agent or an advanced man.

He was injured for at least half the program, but he still participated. He still came out. For me, one of the things that shows characters is that if you get injured, right, do you still show up and at least show up and support your, and support your fellow classmates even with just your presence or your motivation? These things speak to the person’s overall character. And he had a pretty decent injury, yet he had perfect attendance all throughout. That speaks to his dedication, which I think if he applies these concepts to his new career, he’s really, really going to excel. It was a really great experience and an honor to instruct a student. I’m talking about Mr. William Anderson. Stand right Here. Thanks Sir. Appreciate it. Say something if you could.

Something. Hey gents, it’s actually been an honor. You guys have been fantastic. This is a great group of guys, all veterans here. It’s been great and fantastic knowing you. A few of you better do what I said and get to that next level because a few of you are special and you need to recognize it and you need somebody older to tell you that now while you’re young. It’s been a blessing. Thank you for tolerating me and especially K-Bar. I wish you all nothing but the best fair wins and following Cs, gentlemen. Ra.

And a great public speaker. Very good. Yeah. All right, this next student, another exceptional student from an exceptional class. He excelled at practically every phase of the program. He also came in with a lot of previous experience, which I got to hear a little bit about because I actually got to work with this individual quite a bit. His previous experience became very obvious rather quickly. He did make big strides on the mats. He already had a pretty good feel for the mats, but he really made some strides by the end of it. I got to experience some of these strides yesterday during the combatives final. That was surprisingly difficult. He also became a go-to agent for a new account that me and several students have had the privilege of working together. It’s also a very important account to me personally because it does belong to a personal friend of mine.

So the fact that these students and this student in particular was really able to lock it up and become a go-to agent while he’s here in the program really speaks to his character. It’s really, really not easy to be working while going through this program. As someone who always worked while going to college was in the security industry while going to college, I can personally say that it’s an extremely difficult thing. Also being away from your family, being in a new environment, having new assignments thrown at you and also having me sort of manically overlooking your work and managing your work is no small feat. And this person really, really rose to the occasion. We know we’re going to see him out in the field. Maybe we can even get him out here in LA, maybe do a little bit of work for us or maybe a lot. He’s going to be a tremendous asset to any security team he finds himself on and we hope to see him again soon.

I’m talking about Mr. Josh Baker.

Hey boys. I gave a speech the first day we were here. It was iron sharpens iron. Every one of you sharpened. Every one of you deserve to be here, deserve what you get today. You’re going to go on and excel and I’m glad to meet every one of you and have the brotherhood that we do. So let’s get them boys.

Yeah, maybe we could get Josh in the third Gladiator. Maybe it’d be a decent movie, you know what I mean? That would be good. All right, this next student, one of the most physically fit students we’ve ever had come through this program, which is impressive considering we’ve had professional athletes in this program and he really stood out in this sense. Lots of students would say he’s built like a brick house, right? I think he’s just built like a brick. So we’ll call him the brick for this one. So it did take him a little bit to find his stride on the mats. He is a good athlete, but it is a different sort of type of athleticism that we’re working for. Once he did though, there was no stopping him. His fellow classmates definitely talked about his overall fitness as well. Apparently did some pretty impressive things back there at the house. He did have a little bit of a tough final yesterday.

I made sure of it, but we knew that he would make it through and he would give as good as he got. He could be a great close protection agent. He could excel at the various jobs that are available within a security team. I think he could also be an excellent advanced man, which he really demonstrated during the FTXs. So maybe being an advanced man could be his niche. The best thing about him though is that he’s quiet, assertive, and in control. I’m talking about Mr. Matthew Burlage. Make the face.

Yeah, so as you are aware, I’m not exactly known for my groundbreaking charisma. But I was really scared I wasn’t going to fit in as soon as I showed to the program, but I am very, very thankful that I came across a whole bunch of like-minded individuals and I felt right at home immediately. I had no doubts a day or two in. And I thank you all for being here and I also thank the instructors for being very down to earth and relatable. Thank you.

Yeah. Big improvements in the public speaking abilities as well. Big improvement right there. Very good. You’ll do the next graduation. All right. So this next student, another student who came in with a lot of previous experience, despite his previous experience, just like a good student, he really allowed himself to be coached. Because of this, he made huge strides on the range and on the mats in the classroom as well. We even got him to put his 1911 away and switch to Glock. So that was really impressive as well. I shot his gun a little bit on the first day. I felt like I was in Normandy when I was holding it. So I think also society’s going to be a little bit safer due to this transition as well, so that’s good. He did have the unpleasant pleasure of being my uke, which is my demonstration partner. So I got to go to work on him every morning. It’s a uniquely painful experience.

I decided to lay off him a little bit more towards the end of the course because he was getting a bit beat up, but his mind kept pushing forward, which is good. He did also have perfect mat attendance. And on the range, he also really demonstrated a lot of professionalism. As an instructor, when you’re going through a shoot house, you are trying to improve people’s skills. You’re trying to look for those things too, but those things are impossible to do if the student isn’t safe. And you can really feel when a student is professional and when it is that he really wants to be safe. There’s no such thing as I’m good at shooting, but I’m not safe on the range. It doesn’t exist. So this student really demonstrated a lot of competence in that way. He already has his own security company up. He’s already looking at various contracts back in his hometown. I think he’s going to be a big success.

He also helped with a lot of the details that we worked at this new account and he was phenomenal. People are actually asking for these students by name back at this account and he’s one of them. So he’s got the professionalism, he’s got the background, he has everything he needs to succeed in this business. I’m talking about Mr. Jaeden Carter.

Yes sir. Yes sir. Well, going to miss some of y’all. It’s the greatest class of professional degenerates I’ve ever worked with. Well no, really. You guys have a really solid, sharp skill set. I didn’t feel like no one belonged somewhere else. You guys were all really patient. You’re a pleasure to work with. And if any of y’all need a job, give me some time to close some of these contracts out and hey, hit me up. Absolutely would hire any one of you. So thanks.

All right. This next student, I’m just going to say it, he’s the class honey badger. Seems like such a nice young man till you watch him fight someone. Still not sure you can teach that type of will to win, but lucky for him, he didn’t need any coaching in that regard. He also demonstrated great aptitude in the classroom on the mats on the range during medical. He’s another one who was part of our student security team that we were taking out to this account. Did a phenomenal job. On a couple of the occasions, we actually got a chance to do EP-ish things, let’s say. And I think that he definitely demonstrated a very high aptitude to be a close protection agent. I think that’s the direction that he’s going to go in, but you could put him on any position on any security team and he’d excel. He has everything that you need in a close protection agent, everything that clients are looking for.

And most importantly, he’s also quiet, assertive and in control. I’m talking about Mr. Jason Coriz.

Thank you, Benji. I just want to say thank you guys. Coming here, technically still in the military, getting out, you guys gave me a lot of life advice and a lot of tips to start my life and I’m glad I came here, learned these skills here from you guys in PWA to get my life started. So just want to say thank you, you guys.

You know, this next student, this is why on Google Classroom, you don’t put your nickname down. This is exactly why. I just found out what your real name is right now, right on your plaque. So this student also came in with a lot of previous experience, which the longer the program went on for, the more apparent his experience became. I got to spend a good amount of time with him in the shoot house. As an instructor, you can just tell when someone has done this sort of thing before, and I think that really showed through. Yeah, very, very professional shooter, very professional on the mats. And especially yesterday during the combatives final, he really, really showed that mental toughness. He’s not the biggest guy in the world, so guys are really trying to put a lot of pressure on him and he never wilted. And to talk about the final yesterday, the combatives final is extremely difficult. It’s a very, very difficult run.

It’s an hour and a half, two hours. You’re punching, you’re kicking, you’re grappling, you’re fighting me, you’re fighting each other, so on and so forth. I’m really feeling that fine. I’m feeling it today. I’m sure a couple of you are feeling it today. I have to do it every month. And so to not just survive, but thrive in that environment really speaks to this person’s character. He did push. He demonstrated professionalism all throughout. I think an advanced man, I think a close protection agent. I think even investigations, he has that sort of head on him, very, very smart guy. And if he applies that type of work ethic and determination really applies his skills, he’s really going to excel. I knew him as Rick James, but today he’s Richard Rivera.

Jesus is tall. I was looking forward to coming out here. I had been trying to do this for a while and I’m glad I finally stepped forward and came out here. I’m glad I met all of y’all. Being one of the two oldest guys here, I actually got to learn a lot from all of you. Excuse me. And you know, it was a lot of fun. Learned a lot, Matt and Benji. And I had, you know, great time and I look forward to what the future brings for all of us. So thank you.

All right. This next student, another very impressive student, he demonstrated everything you want to see in a close protection agent. He received one of the two highest scores in his class for the combatives final and for combatives overall. He received a 100% in combatives and on the combatives final, which is rare. It’s rare that I give out one. I think I’ve probably given out six or seven in the entire time that I’ve been here, maybe a little more, maybe a little bit less. But the fact that this class had two individuals who received 100% also speaks to the excellence of this class. Aside from that, he also had top TECC and range scores. Generally speaking, our medical has the highest failure rate. So to excel at so many different skill sets is very impressive. I feel like he’s really a self-protection guy. I think he could really, really excel in that.

He has a lot of those features that clients are looking for, but clients can look for features, whatever features they want and imagine them in an agent, but it’s rare that the agent actually has the characteristics that they’re actually looking for. And I think he is one of these people. So I think he’s really, really going to excel. He also embodies our core principles of quiet, assertive, and in control. And I’m talking about Mr. Nathan Kinson.

Thank you. I enjoyed my time here to the guys, the instructors, to my family back there. Looking forward to working with you guys in the future. Thank you guys.

So this, this next student, another excellent one, really excelled, especially at FTXs. I got to do a couple FTXs with this student and he really does have that agent thing about him. So I really hope that he sticks in this industry and really pursues it. I was talking with him offline and he apparently has a lot of opportunities. It’s important that we seize those opportunities, that we look for the best possible company we can and we try to dedicate ourselves to that company because this jumping around thing, gentlemen, it’s really not the best thing ever. If you can find a good company that treats you right, pays you correctly, commit your time to them because this is a private entity. It’s a private organization. We’re working for private companies, right? So you’re not working for the government. I’m sure it was a blast working for the government, right? Like that treatment.

So, you know, with the, on the private side, we can really sort of push for the things that we need. So you have those opportunities, pursue them very vigorously, and once you get there, do an excellent job. He also came in with a lot of background, especially in the medical field, had a top TECC score, received very high score, definitely has the close protection vibes. And I really, really hope that this guy dedicates himself. He did have an injury that he received only a week ago or so. He was really toughing it out on the mats. Guys were really pushing him. He was pushing guys as well. He did get a little bit of an injury that sort of kept him out of the final yesterday, but he still showed up, supported his teammates, and really demonstrated a very high level of character. I think he’s in the exact industry that he should be in and that he should dedicate his career to. I’m talking about Mr. Jose Rueda.

Man, didn’t know what I was walking into when I came to this school, but I’m glad that I got to experience this with all you guys and the instructors including. I know we sacrificed a lot leaving our loved ones for a little while. It’s going to be, it’s going to be worth it.

What did we talk about, Lane? You know what I mean? You know, I try to set the example myself of never cussing, you know? Yeah. All right. This next, this next student definitely gives off the close protection vibes, a real natural, great presence and professionalism, really showed on the FTXs and the details that we got to work with him. He came and worked some details with me as well. Big guy, you know, and for a big guy, very approachable. And you’re going to need that approachability when you’re out there in the field because people look at you and you’re a little bit on the larger side and maybe some guys aren’t good at giving off the correct vibes, right? We, of course, people hire us because of our capabilities, but people keep us because of our social intelligence, right? So if we’re able to find the balance between these two things, you can have a very, very successful career.

So I’m pretty sure that more than one client is going to be interested in what he brings to the table. Big improvements to his combatives and his shooting skills. I try to avoid conversations about guys’ backgrounds most of the time. I think I’m just interested in where we are now and what we need to improve. We were over here doing combatives and, you know, he follows directions so closely that I actually though he was an experienced combatives guy for awhile, but he says, “Oh, I just sort of played around a bit.” Well, that shows that you’re really following directions and you’re really paying attention and you’re really allowing yourself to be coached because the people who come through here who allow themselves to get coached improve. There’s only two types of students that come through here.

There’s the students that come to learn from us, from the instructors, and then there’s the students who try to demonstrate to us how good they are at what they already do. Those are the two types of students, and he is definitely the first type of student which allowed himself to be a coach. Also has a good head on his shoulders, very good in the classroom as well. And he was responsible for a good amount of comic relief as well. Pretty, pretty funny guy, I got to say. I don’t like giving that type of respect to students, you know, as, as far as it happens, but, but he really did get, give that to us, especially on those longer range days. It’s hot, then it’s cold, then it’s raining, then it’s not, then it’s muddy, so on and so forth. So on those longer range days, it is good to have the that sort of comic relief. The sky’s the limit for this student and I hope I see him in the field one of these days.

I’m talking about Mr. Rhylin Schiltz. This whole time I though it was Schlitz.

Thank you for the birthday present, Benji. It’s my birthday. It is, it Is. It Actually Is. Awesome.

Real happy he came to this course and I met everyone. I’m sure I’ll see all of you again in the future at the world a small place. I’m not going to sit here and yap all day, so thank you guys. And I’ll see you again.

Yeah. Thank you for acknowledging that’s my job. All right. Okay. Another student, another excellent student. This student really punches well above his weight. This student really impressed and on the details that I got to work with him as well. There were four or five students that got to work a fair amount, at least with me directly, and I really enjoy doing that. Some classes I get to do it, some classes I don’t, but when I really get to take a group of guys out and and put them in the field and see what they bring to the table, I was very impressed. All these guys would make great agents in our security company. Sometimes because of geography and whatnot, we can’t bring them on, but these students who were working for me and also the students generally in this class aren’t going to need my help to succeed at this point. They’re not going to need my my help in that sense.

So he displayed great professionalism on a real detail that was important to me that we did a good job and he did not disappoint. He’s one of those guys who can fly under the radar very well, which he demonstrated, especially at the Hollywood FTX. Very, very good feel for security. He’s sort of in an overwatch position across the street, really keeping an eye and really, really on top of those things. When you have close protection agent instincts, sometimes it’s hard to be a good advance man because you want to sort of be closer to the action. But spotting potential action is just as important. When you have a good advanced man, when you have a good low pro guy, a covert guy who can be in the crowd, who can really look out for you and give you good information, you can’t see behind your back, but this guy can.

So if you have a guy like that, I really recommend that you use him even though he could succeed at either end, either close protection or advance or covert. I think he may have caught the combatives bug, which I hope he did. He’s already a very physically fit guy. He’s always talking to me about training and what he needs to train on and, or, or wear, so on and so forth. So I think he’s going to be one of those guys in a couple years, might give me a run for my money, right? Which, which I think will be very good for him. Excellent on the range as well. Really demonstrated that sort of professionalism with a pistol that we’re always looking for. Medical, classroom he’s going to make an excellent agent, already has a lot of employment opportunities, and I think he’s going to be a great asset on any team that he finds himself on and I hope to see him out in the field one of these days. I’m talking about Mr. Gary Smith. Oh, okay. Samuel.

That’s My legal name. It’s like you said, don’t put the – You Guys got to tell me your real names before graduation. There you go.

Thank you, Mosen. Yeah. Appreciate you. Guys, it’s, it’s a team that makes it. You know, we do a lot of crazy stuff in the classroom, but even outside. It takes a special group of guys to get me to sing, so. For those of you who are privileged to see me sing Feel Good Ink, you’re welcome. But overall, thank you guys to the instructors, to my classmates, to all of you. I hope to see you all down range.

All right, this next student. Legalities. Another excellent student, really demonstrated a lot of will and determination, approached all of his tasks with professionalism. He also gave us quite a lot of comic relief. I have to thank him for that as well. And a good sport. So sometimes you bear the brunt of a lot of jokes. I happen to be that person in my family and in my group of friends taking lots and lots of verbal abuse everywhere I go. You got to learn how to take it in stride. It’s also a very good test for security person. Do you think you might get tested out there? Oh Yeah.

You think you’re patience, your control, all these things? So it is very good to practice, right? And I think that we practiced quite a bit with him, but he took it in stride. And the good thing too, if the security industry doesn’t work out, he has a great future as a meme maker. I got to tell you, those memes, those were good. I still need them for a rainy day. Another student that really demonstrated toughness and a real will to win on the mats. You can see on the mats that when things aren’t going well for him, he’s not one of these guys that quits. He keeps going. He keeps going. I still don’t know if that’s something that you can teach. I don’t know if that’s something that you have in you, but you’re going to need it in this industry because sometimes guys, things don’t go the way you want them to go. Sometimes you have a bad interview, the company you wanted to work with filled the position already.

There’s all kinds of challenges that are going to happen throughout your career. And it’s kind of an easy industry to go in and out of. And I think it’s important that even when things get difficult that you stay in the industry, that you stay working, that you stay committed and long term things will work out. I think what happens in the security industry is that you hear that this one over here is making this much, this one is going to this country, he’s making that much, so on and so forth. And it’s kind of easy to get pushed in different directions. Like I told you, find a good company that pays you well, pays you on time, gives you opportunities to advance and dedicate your time to, to that company. They can be sometimes difficult to find. Some of you are already working for smaller upstart companies. That’s a great place to be at the ground level with a company that is growing.

10, 15, 20 years later, you could be in a thing like this. I remember the first time I heard about Pacific West Academy was in 2007 on Coldwater Canyon. It was about midnight. It was my first, it was my first EP detail. And my boss is telling me, he goes, “One day we’re going to bring people from all over the world and we’re going to do combatives and we’re going to do shooting and we’re going to have an academy and da, da, da.” This is 2006, 2007. I got the call in 2018. So it’s a little bit of a, a little bit of a long process, okay? But it is ultimately worth it. This company at that time was probably the size of this room, right? And now we’re a little bit bigger. We definitely, and we are the only program of our kind in the United States with this level of accreditation. Took a very, very long time, but if you can be on the ground level with the company, I recommend that you stick with that as well.

The student was also excellent on the range. He’s going to make a great agent. I really think that this guy dedicates himself. I really think he could be exceptional across the board. Contracting, EP, investigations, covert, any of these things I really, really think that he could excel in and I wouldn’t mind bumping into him out in the field. I’m talking about Mr. Sam Simmons. Thank you, thank you. Almost shed a tear right there.

Yeah. – I came here to learn from the instructors and I ended up learning a lot from my fellow classmates as well. And so I appreciate you very much. Good stuff.

You got to get this guy at like 7:30 AM on a Monday. It’s a whole, it’s a, it’s a whole different thing. All right. Next student, another exceptional athlete, showed it on the mats every day. Much to his classmates is Chagrin. I saved my reps with him for the very, very last day. I made sure he was real tired before I jumped in against him, fed him a lot of students and then kind of jumped on him at the end. I’m being honest, you know what I mean? You know, you got a few years on me though, but whatever. Having a student like that who can really push some of your less experienced students is invaluable from a training perspective. So we have guys like this in the, on the mats who can really push the students. I know you guys were dreading it every morning. I could see it, you know, because he can really, really push you with that, with that experience, that wrestling base that he had.

But he also, towards the end, really started to adapt his skill set, which is what we need. I think we really got through to you in how we’re going to adapt your combative skillset, your shooting skillset. Came in, was already a great shooter and we were able to make adjustments. I mean, usually when I go through the shoot house with students, we do our three, four, five runs, whatever it is. I like to talk. He didn’t give me a lot of reason to talk to him, unfortunately. So we actually got through your runs very fast, you know? And I rarely hear that I’m a straightforward instructor, so I got to hear that too. So that has more to do with your skills and what you brought into the shoot house on those days than it has to do with me. And it is pretty rare that a guy doesn’t give me much to talk about. So it was an interesting experience. So thank you very much. He’s one of those guys. He’s going to receive a lot of offers.

I really hope he weighs his options and gets on a team as quickly as possible. That’s another thing, guys, let’s hit the ground as quickly as possible. What is it, Thursday? Let’s already be, you know, by Monday talking to people and making our next moves. It’d be within a week or two. Take your couple days, your two, three days, whatever it is that you need to rest, but let’s not, you know, let’s not stay back. Let’s go forward and let’s also not stay where we are. Sometimes staying where you are can be worse than going backwards. So let’s make sure that we really push once we get out of there. Lots of opportunity out there for this individual. We need more assets like him out in the field as quickly as possible. I’m talking about Mr. Shamario Williams.

Thank everyone, you know, family members and all, because these guys are pretty cool. And I know that it might not look like it, but I’m the youngest guy in this class. I though it was me.

No, I’m really young. But thanks everyone for their time. I learned a lot, especially like from the guys, Will, Josh, Rhylin, literally everybody for telling me things I need to do, getting, getting out of the Marine Corps what, a month ago or yeah, a month and some change ago, just hitting the ground running. I thank y’all for your time. Thanks.

All right. This next student, really impressive dude. This student was already out in the field working. He worked almost every weekend while he was in the program, which is very, very difficult. He’s working graveyard shifts showing up on Monday to get his training in. So very, very quick. It’s the exact type of commitment I like to see from guys who come through this program because I know that once they leave here, they’re not going to have any issues. Excellent all around, has the right overall demeanor for the job as well. You can have presence, you can have all those types of things, but the actual demeanor and that actually being you is actually somewhat rare. So between the demeanor, between the physical abilities, the mental abilities, he has tremendous potential. The fact that he’s already gainfully employed with a good company speaks to his overall quality. This is another thing about character.

He’s already in the field working, has a job, starting his career, but he wants more. He wants to be a better agent so he comes to the best to come and train and improve his overall quality. He has a lot of mental toughness, excellent head on his shoulders. He’s going to make an excellent agent. He’s working down in San Diego, so he won’t be far. So I look forward to see him in the field as well. And he is definitely quiet, assertive and in control. I’m talking about Mr. Garrett Wagoner.

Thank you very much. It was a pleasure to be here with all you guys. I really learned a lot from everyone here. Really enjoyed my time here and just thank you to the instructors. Look forward to working with you guys out in the field.

All right. This next student has a very sharp mind. I had a lot of good non-security conversations with him, which I really enjoy that. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of world history. And I don’t like to be taught anything by students, but I did enjoy learning additional things from this guy. We really related very well on a number of subjects. And the other thing too, what you have to think about is that generally speaking, your clients are pretty educated, smart people. And if you’re driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco, you’re taking them around, you’re spending lots of time with them, you’re traveling all over the world with them. Conversation will come up at some point, right? And having a strong knowledge base on a variety of subjects is going to help you. This is usually known as being cultured. I know we don’t really, but this is known as being cultured, being well-rounded.

A little bit difficult for guys like us, but this guy definitely has it. So in that sense, aside from he’s a big guy, he’s a good athlete, has the right mind, very, very tough. He did struggle a bit on our first range day, but he did really pull it together and received a good score. Going through shootouts, probably one of the most difficult things you can do on the range. And the fact that he got to a good level in a short period of time speaks to his dedication. He did get his Rocky Balboa on yesterday during the final. He’s wearing it a little bit today. And again, I’m not sure that you can teach that. I mean, he was hands down telling the guy to, telling the guy to hit him. And I definitely appreciate that type of toughness, but let’s try to keep our hands up next time. You know what I mean? Maybe move our head a little bit, you know, this type of thing, right? But that is definitely the temperament.

Nothing is going to keep me down. You can do whatever you want to do. It’s got nothing to do with me. And that is the right attitude to be so internal that you don’t care what your opponent is doing to you, that is a very difficult space to get into in your head. So that is something that I do rarely see on the mats. I used to have that when I was 17, but it’s been a while now. So I did have to remind him that it’s not a Rocky movie. However, he is a come forward kind of guy. If he applies this type of mental toughness, if he uses his good academic knowledge, if he translates that into social intelligence, good conversation, someone who is easily approachable and who is intelligent and capable, I think he’s going to be very, very successful out in the field. I’m talking about Mr. Callen Pappas.

I just want to thank everyone for the opportunity. Thank the staff, thank the instructors, thank my fellow students. I wish all you the best because you guys deserve it.You guys put in the work, you guys put in the time and you guys deserve the world. So thank you.

All right, this next student, last but not least, he might be the very embodiment of our core principles, quiet, assertive and in control. Very dedicated, did a lot of his own training offsite. We were over here doing leg kicks and I noticed he was kind of good at them. And I went up to him, I was like, “You have a lot of experience?” He goes, “I practice my leg kicks every day.” And I was like, “Oh, okay.” Now we got to practice the grappling of the punching and all the other stuff. But hey, there is something to be said about that guy who’s very good at that one thing. What was the saying? I don’t fear the man who’s trained 10,000 kicks. I fear the man who’s trained one kick 10,000 times. So I do like that type of training. I’m a little bit more of a generalist myself, but I can really appreciate people that do dedicate themselves to that. So it was at this moment that I knew that he was going to make it.

Could be a close protection agent, an advanced man. I think he has even sort of like a private investigator vibe to him as well. I know investigation is not something that we go over here at the academy. We are a close protection academy, but sometimes when you identify people with those types of attributes and those types of minds, it is good to just mention to them that there is this other aspect that maybe it’s not security, maybe it’s not physical, it is more mental, but it is a very big, very big industry. However, I think we know that this is a close protection guy and that’s why he came here. And that is of course also where I hope that he stays. He has that rare quiet professionalism the clients really look for. So we usually really respect the quiet professionals amongst ourselves as security people, not community, as a people. But the people who really appreciate that are your clients, right? That’s who really appreciates.

So we might appreciate it as professionals, but it’s really your clients who appreciate that. So if you’re bringing that type of quiet professionalism into the situation, you’re going to be extremely successful because that is something that people need. You will see your clients sometimes at their worst. They’re having a bad day, they’re having an argument with their wife or they’re having an argument with their husband, whatever it is. They didn’t get the contract. They’re having a bad day, so on and so forth. And they need to know that they’re around someone who isn’t going to go yapping around. There has to be a level. There has to be a certain dedication where I’m not going to tell anyone what I just saw.

I’m not talking about something illegal or immoral, but I’m literally like I just saw them in this position here where maybe they’re not at their best and I as a professional am not going to tell another living soul, not my colleagues, my coworkers, not my wife, not my girlfriend, not whatever it is. I’m simply not going to tell anyone what I just saw. Maybe it’s something small, maybe it’s something big. But the point is, is that the less that you talk about these things, the better off you’re going to be long term. So I think that student is bringing that on top of significant physical capabilities and good range abilities and medical abilities and the classroom as well. I really think and hope that I’m going to see him out in the field. I’m talking about Mr. Anthony Sutherland. Nice suit.

Thank you. I do clean up sometimes. You know, it takes a lot for me to call people bro and family. You guys have all earned that. So I thank you for everything, the motivation, whooping my, whooping my behind on the mats, Mario. Thank you to the instructors. You guys killed it. Loved it. Every bit of it was just outstanding. And I got to say thanks to all the families that supported all your loved ones and mine back home too. Thank you. And I look forward to seeing all of you.

All right guys. Well, that’s it for my part. I thank you guys very much. You’re an excellent, excellent class. I really enjoyed you guys. This is the kind of class that makes the arthritis worth it, you know? So the arthritis and all the other issues that come with this, this is the type of class that makes it worth it. You know, being an instructor is more physical than being an agent most days, right? And having the right group of guys that makes it easy for you to show up to work and do what we do means everything. So I really appreciate that from you guys. I wish you good luck. You’re not going to need it. You’re not going to need the luck, but I still wish you good luck anyway, just in case. Let me know if you guys need anything from me. It was a real pleasure. Obviously I feel like saying something poetic or in Latin right now, but I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to wish you guys well. Lots and lots of potential in here.

You all have what it takes. You’re in the right industry. Don’t let people push you. These side quests, okay, that are outside of this, save yourself some time. Okay? You are what you are. You are security people. Normal people don’t do this. Okay? They just don’t. You did this because you have a certain calling, you have a certain inclination, and you need to fulfill it. You guys are not going to do well selling cars, being HR, working in an office, okay? This is not an environment for you. Okay? It’s just not. You can be here or you can be out there doing the job. This is what you guys were meant to do. You’re going to spend a lot of time or waste time. You go on these side quests. You’ve completed a very rigorous training. You spent time away from your families, okay, from your kids, so on and so forth. There has to be some value in this, and you are what gives this program value. Value is not something that we can purchase, okay?

You are what gives us value. You are the product. You leave here, you represent your training. You’re going to put on your resume that you went to Pacific West Academy, okay? And you are going to be who and what makes that mean something. So you have to make it mean something. Whatever it is you end up doing with your life, I wish you well, okay? But I’m telling you right now, every single person in this room right now that is graduating is exactly where they need to be. I tried it all. I tried it all. I should become a coder, okay? No, you shouldn’t. Don’t do it. Okay? No matter what they tell you, you know you. It doesn’t matter what your brother is doing, what your friends are doing or whatever. You might live the rest of your life and never meet someone who does what you do for a living. How many times in my life do you think I’ve been at a party and been like, “Oh, what do you do? Oh, I’m a bodyguard. Oh, what do you do?

I’m a bodyguard.” It doesn’t happen. It’s a very small, it’s a very small group of people and it requires a very particular type of person and you are needed right now. So stick with this. Give this thing at least five years, please. Okay? One year is not enough. If I had quit after my first year, God only knows, okay? So let’s stick with it. Let’s be dedicated, show the same dedication, the same mental toughness that you showed all throughout this course and things are going to work out for you. Let me know if there’s anything that I can do for you guys once you’re out of here and anytime you’re in town, hit me up. I’ll see you guys.

Morning, fellas. How are we doing? All right. Ladies and gentlemen, for those that don’t know me, my name is Matt Chun. I’m one of the instructors. I’ve had the privilege for the past 10 weeks to babysit your graduates. It’s been, it’s been quite the experience. So congratulations to all of you guys, first off. So let’s give yourselves a round of applause. Next, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the family and friends that have showed up. Without your guys’ support, these guys would not be able to stay as focused as they were.This class was phenomenal and you guys are a huge part of that. So thank you as well. So in my pocket, I got a list of guys who didn’t graduate. All right. So with that being said, we are still in academy. We learn a lot of skills here, but at the end of the day, we are still in academy and this is academic as well.

For those that don’t know, for the families in the back, every single thing that your graduates have done has been graded and assessed from top to bottom. And at the end of the day, they get a full percentage on what they came out on at the end of the day in their grade books. So with that being said, I have the top three in the class. Now our third person we’re going to start there, is what we referred to as our gray man. Didn’t sit all the way at the top, didn’t sit at the bottom but also embodies our our model of quite assertive and in control. The student was a phenomenal performer, asked tons of questions and was constantly eager to learn. I think this person can absolutely step foot and be an asset to anybody in this team or anybody in this industry. This student is going to be Mr. Josh Baker. Yeah.

Here’s a little gift for you. There’s a couple things in there. Feel free to take a look at it. I’m not going to tell everybody what you got.

All Right. One More thing. Thank you, friends and family. Everybody watching. Forgot to say that. Didn’t forget you. But yeah, no, I couldn’t do this without any of you guys, so here we go.

All right. This next student is our second overall in the class. When I tell you the Top Gun Award and the second overall were mere like point something percentages away, it’s insane how close this class was as a whole. But this second overall for your guys’ class is going to be Mr. Jaeden Carter. Yeah.

Works for you. Gracias. And Benji, for the Ugi thing, I’ll send you my medical bills. Thanks guys.

Make sure you send them the hospital bill too. All right. So for this class, our Top Gun Award what they’re going to be receiving is a Sunto core watch. I’ve used these watches all throughout my military career. I’ve, I’ve dove with these watches. I’ve jumped with these watches. I’ve gone on deployments with these watches. These are hard hitting watches. So we’re going to go ahead and give out a Sunto core watch. What they are also going to receive is a a plaque that states that they were the top gun for this class so they can hang it up in front of your faces, take a picture of it, send it in the group chat, in the group chat. This student was a phenomenal student. Again, asked a lot of questions, came with a lot of experience. Huge progress on the range, huge, huge progress on the mats. This student is definitely going to be a major asset to any team that they decide to join.

The Top Gun Award for your guys’ class is going to be Mr. Mr. Nathan Kinson.

I appreciate it. I don’t think I could have won this without any of you guys’ help. You guys pushed me on the mats. You guys pushed me out shooting. It’s just fun to be with you guys, so thank you.

Gentlemen, I said this before, and I’m going to say it again when I first met you guys. Don’t sit on a throne of experience. Don’t go through this course and just go, “You know what? This is the end of it. I’ve, I’ve made it.” There, there is a beauty in training. There’s a beauty in constantly learning. I do not care about your backgrounds. I care about who you are today, because at the end of the day, today is who shapes tomorrow. Continue to train, make time for the range, make time for the mats, make time to constantly learn. Now, if we think about what the actual title of this course is, Certified Executive Security Specialist, let’s highlight this word. In order to view yourselves as a specialist, that does not mean I, I, I’m a specialist, so I don’t have to learn more. In order to continuously view yourself as a specialist, it’s how much more do you have to learn to maintain this? So constantly be a student, constantly train.

Constantly make sure that you are an asset, not a liability. You guys are all protectors. I hope to see you guys in the field. Gentlemen, thank you very much. Congratulations. Thank you.

All right, you’re almost there. All right. So as we come to the conclusion of this really 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 our family and friends, thank you. Your supports, encouragement and sacrifices have been invaluable behind every one of these graduates, our loved ones who provided strength, motivation, and everything else through every challenge. Today, we celebrate not just the graduates, but also the unwavering support that’s brought them here. So thank you. And then to our exceptional instructors, especially our head instructors, Benji and Matt, your knowledge, dedication and leadership have transformed these students into professionals ready to take on the world. You’ve done more than teach skills.

You’ve instilled the principles of quiet, confidence, assertiveness, and control that define the PWA motto and the foundation of our training. So thank you. To our administrative team who are tirelessly working behind the scenes, we’ve got Christina, our student services coordinator, Mari and John in admissions, Jordan who was with us Omer, who does a little bit of everything, and Andrea, our director of administration, your leadership and attention to detail keep everything running smoothly. So thank you. All right, so graduates of class 72, you now joined the ranks of an elite group of certified executive security specialists. You represent PWA in everything you do from this day forward. The values you’ve embraced, quiet, assertive, and in control, are not just words, they’re principles that will guide you in your careers and in your life.

So they’re qualities that 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 PWA. You’re now part of our family and we’re here to help in any way that we can. So if you ever want to reach out for guidance, for additional training, or just to say you did something really cool, please reach out. Let us know. You always have a home with us. And as you leave here today, I urge you to carry the lessons you’ve learned and the principles you’ve cultivated into everything that you do. The world really needs protectors right now, those who bring safety, stability, and integrity to every situation. Be proud of what you’ve achieved and know that we are really proud of you. As you leave here today, go forward with confidence, knowing that you’re equipped with not only the skills, but also with the character to make a lasting impact.

You’re quiet, assertive, and in control of what you do next. So congratulations, Class 72, you did it.