One happens on the mound against the batter, standing 60 feet and six inches away. The other happens in her head, where thoughts of arm slot, spin rate and release point can spiral into overthinking with every windup. 

What used to be the United States’s favorite pastime has evolved into a demanding, year-round pursuit for West High athletes like Hubbard. Baseball and softball have become far more technical — and mentally demanding — than most spectators realize.

“I don’t think people realize how much a softball player plays,” Hubbard said. “A typical high school season in Iowa is around 40 90-minute games in the span of two months. Most of the time, we play two varsity games back-to-back in the cruel summer heat. Tournaments are a whole other world, where it’s normal to play three to four games in 10 hours, and then get up at 6 a.m. the next morning to do it again.”

Yet, for many athletes, the season extends far beyond the summer calendar. Despite it being a summer sport, the season starts much earlier. Gage Brownlee ’27, a pitcher for West’s baseball team, explains that in reality, the season starts at the beginning of the calendar year.

“We normally start in January with pitching and indoor throwing — just trying to ramp up so we can keep our arms healthy,” Brownlee said. “In the spring, we start practicing and scrimmaging against other schools. Our actual season starts early May and goes through July.” 

However, for athletes who partake in baseball outside West, the sport lasts year-round to work individually.

“The rest of the year is off-season, where you work on your own. For travel baseball, you’re not with the team, and you can work on yourself,” Brownlee said. “The spring league, where it’s not as competitive, is mainly to get your numbers and play. Summer through fall is actually traveling and trying to win.”

To “get numbers,” athletes today are constantly evaluated through data from pitch-tracking systems to high-speed motion analysis cameras. The emphasis on numbers reflects the growing role technology plays in modern baseball and softball.

“For me — especially because I’m a pitcher — and for baseball in general, numbers are everything,” Brownlee said. “That’s how college coaches base how good and projectable you are. That’s the most important part because, depending on how your numbers are, it’ll help you get onto better teams or rank higher.”

West baseball coach Trey Bronner has seen the sport rapidly evolve through the rise of analytics.

“The game has changed a lot in the eight or nine years since I stopped playing and started coaching,” Bronner said. “[Now,] a lot of the game has come to the question of, ‘How hard can this player hit the ball? How hard can this pitcher throw?’”

As a player, Hubbard has also witnessed how technology has reshaped softball strategy and communication.

“Softball has become more technical in a multitude of ways,” Hubbard said. “For instance, as a catcher, when I grew up, I would get pitch signs from hand gestures or arm bands. Nowadays, it is normal in college to have a wristband to relay calls and even have audio in the catcher’s helmet; it’s amazing and shows the advancements in the regular game of softball with technology.”

While analytics can add pressure, Hubbard acknowledges the advantages the data provides in pursuing growth.

“Metrics are really useful. Since there is more technology, I am able to compare things such as my exit velocity three months ago to today to see how much progress I have made,” Hubbard said.

Still, the growing obsession with measurable performance can come at a cost.

“Because players are chasing big numbers, a lot of time, fundamentals and mechanics go out the window,” Bronner said. “If the only thing taught at a young age is to throw as hard as you can or hit a ball as hard as possible, the baseline fundamentals can be lost.”

Hubbard has experienced the emotion of analytics firsthand. Although statistics help players improve, constantly monitoring performance can become overwhelming, taking away from the actual game.

“To be honest, I try not to look at my own stats. I think it distracts from simply playing the game and having fun,” Hubbard said. “However, I look at the stats of the opposing team. It helps me scope out how the game will go, and — especially since I mostly catch — I always look at things like stolen bases and [on-base percentage].”

Even as the sport becomes increasingly data-driven, both athletes and coaches emphasize that passion for the game matters most.

“I think my ‘why’ is that I genuinely enjoy playing softball. I’ve done soccer, swimming, basketball and track as well. I was decent at those, but softball stuck because I have fun,” Hubbard said. 

For Hubbard, enjoyment is what separates athletes who survive from those who burn out, even when facing a rough patch.

“The true winners are the girls who like practicing and playing, as passion beats talent. The grind doesn’t stop, but I stay motivated since I do have fun,” Hubbard said. “The fact that I am playing with a good group of people who are all trying to make the most out of the least is just enough for me.”

Despite concerns about over-specialization and increasing pressure, Bronner believes that sport’s evolution is unlikely to slow down.

“If younger players really learn the game and how to play it right, eventually their physical attributes will come as they grow older and they will become good ball players,” Bronner said. 

However, Bronner hopes players remember that development goes beyond radar guns and stat sheets.

“It’s exciting to see how the game has grown,” Bronner said. “But I would caution younger players and coaches to make sure they are taking care of their bodies, not overdoing anything and learning how to play the game right.”

Additional reporting by Zeke Williamson

This story was originally published on West Side Story on May 28, 2026.

Rows of yellow buses inch forward as thousands of students spill out of school in every direction. Police officers block traffic, administrators wave students forward and bus drivers carefully pull through while trying to keep everything moving safely. Even though this hectic afternoon rush may seem mundane to many students, it is actually the result of close coordination happening behind the scenes every single day. 

“It’s kind of like when you kick an ant hill and all the ants start going everywhere,” assistant principal Kevin Byrd said. “Here, the doors are wide open for 2,700 kids to go their own way. It’s communication because we have meetings, class meetings. We’ll give y’all announcements about that when the doors are closed. Most people, after about five days, first week of school, they really get it. They try to be safe here.”

Byrd serves as the campus point of contact for general education transportation and oversees about 15 bus routes assigned to the school. While the transportation department handles routing and placements, Byrd manages the issues that happen on campus itself.

“We treat each bus like it’s a classroom,” Byrd said. “So if they have issues on that bus, discipline or anything that needs to be addressed. It comes to me and then I just work into it.”

Byrd is always at the front of the bus ramp while assistant principals Matthew Warren and Romulo Crespo stand in the middle. There is somebody stationed on the walkway as well to make sure that students don’t come running out.

“We give until 2:57,” Byrd said. “As soon as 2:57 hits, we start trying to get everybody out. That’s when the police officer goes out and blocks the street. We just try to keep it open.”

The transportation system extends far beyond simply driving students from one place to another though. Area supervisor Elmer Jett oversees 19 routes assigned to our school along with academy transportation routes and specialized programs throughout the district. Her responsibilities also include transportation for the McKinney-Vento program, which supports students experiencing homelessness.

“Transportation is more than just driving a bus,” Jett said. “It involves route planning, compliance with state and federal regulations, coordinating with multiple campuses, managing specialized programs and responding to real-time challenges such as traffic, weather, staffing shortages or last-minute student changes.”

Many of these responsibilities and challenges go unnoticed by students, Jett said, though they have led to difficulties in recent years. 

“Majority of kids come to school on a bus,” Byrd said. “School buses, they’re the lifeline of school. That’s why when there’s weather issues and the buses can’t drive, there’s no school.”

A few years ago the campus lost three drivers, Byrd said, after one retired and two quit. They were short on staff for a good part of the second semester of school.

“That was probably the biggest challenge,” Byrd said. “Just trying to manage all that when we had 69 kids to hold. And that is why we started using the library. It’s been a really good place for that.” 

Even under pressure however the transportation staff said safety is at the center of everything they do. School drivers have to undergo weeks of training before even transporting students. 

“We had to learn the whole entire bus,” bus driver Mary Haynes said. “We had to know every part of this bus. Underneath the bus, under the hood, all the seats in here, everything. They give you like two months, and then you go to DPS and take your driving test.” 

Jett said that school bus drivers undergo extensive training typically ranging from 40 to 80 hours to prepare them from emergencies and challenging situations. Their training includes simulated emergency scenarios and hands-on evacuation drills for situations such as fires or railroad crossings.

“Drivers are also trained in behavior management, crisis communication and de-escalation techniques to effectively handle difficult passenger behavior,” Jett said. “They are also instructed on the proper use of safety technology, including two-way radios and other communication systems, to respond quickly to threats or medical emergencies. This training ensures drivers are well-equipped to prioritize student safety at all times.”

Special education transportation also requires additional certifications and preparation. Their training covers areas of safety, medical awareness, behavior management and emergency procedures. It is also important for them to understand their students’ individualized education plans (IEPs), individual transportation plans (ITPs) and student confidentiality laws.

“Training covers the proper operation of wheelchair lifts, securement systems and specialized restraint devices,” Jett said. “Instruction includes understanding various disabilities like autism, cognitive or emotional impairments and techniques for managing challenging behaviors. Specific, up-to-date evacuation plans for students with disabilities are critical.”

Despite the seriousness of the work, Haynes said that she also values the bond she forms with her students. She has worked in transportation for 20 years and wakes up at 4 a.m., driving routes for high school, middle school and elementary school throughout the day.

“I love my kids,” Haynes said. “Especially my elementary and high school kids. They are very quiet, very respectable. I love listening to my elementary kids talk to each other, it’s so funny. But I love my route overall. I would like for the kids to remember me with a smile on my face and a loving, caring bus driver.”

Still the job comes with challenges. Haynes said that sometimes students throw food, stand up while the bus is moving or ignore directions.

“I get on the mic and I tell them to settle down, you know,” Haynes said. “And we don’t want to hurt each other, we want to love each other and stop throwing food on the bus. Because we don’t want any other students to get hurt by slipping in the food, or sitting in the food.”

For transportation staff their responsibility goes beyond enforcing rules. Drivers often end up being the first adults students see every morning and the last adults before they go back home.

“Drivers pay attention to changes in body language, tone of voice, or behavior, which can sometimes signal that a student needs support,” Jett said. “Beyond safely transporting students, drivers often serve as trusted, observant adults who provide a sense of consistency and care in a student’s day.”

This connection is what Byrd hopes students remember the most after their time at high school concludes. While students may only see yellow buses lined up outside the school, awaiting them, underneath is a complex web of wires—proof of the work that the transportation staff puts in.

“I want them to enjoy their ride on the bus while they’re in school,” Haynes said. “I just want all of us to learn to love one another as one. Because that’s how God is. He loves all of us as one. And I want all of us to love one another, not hate one another. Give us hugs at the end of the day. Tell a person you love them at the end of the day. Because we never know what people are going through.”

This story was originally published on The Round Up on May 28, 2026.

But one hesitated to walk out, his eyes glued to the older group on the court next to him. Even though they seemed to be having fun, their skill was indiscreetly apparent. While hitting at highway speeds, they were simultaneously chatting and teasing each other, as if the rapid back-and-forth was nothing. It was an odd but powerful contrast.

They were the Louisville Tennis Club’s “elite” focus group, comprised of some of the top tennis athletes in the state. I didn’t blame the younger player for pausing; it was hard not to watch. After a few more minutes of playing, the teenagers’ coach called for a break, and they jogged over to the benches for water and cooling down.

As the child began to walk off the court, James Watkins, another coach, approached him.

“You’ll be here one day, little guy,” Watkins said. “You will be here one day.”

Even though the boy might not have understood the full implications of what Watkins said, the statement resonated with me.

After seeing the stark contrast between the younger players’ amateur attempts and the elite group’s skilled shots, I couldn’t help but wonder: how do kids even reach that point?

Pressure to Pivot

If you asked most people, they would likely say that children need to focus on training in one sport to become successful. The recent rise of specialization, or the intensive focus on a single sport through vigorous training, reflects this common idea. It often uses adult-controlled programming to advance players’ skills and involves private clubs and coaches instead of recreational play.

However, this hasn’t always been the dominant model for youth sports. According to an article from the Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, sports have drastically changed within the last 10 years, with seasonal school-based sports becoming less popular than year-round private clubs.

Kyle Bowling, who owns Kentucky Sports Clinic and works on the University of Kentucky sports staff, has noticed this recent shift. Now, kids aren’t only playing during their school’s season — what’s considered the off-season isn’t a break as much as an opportunity to transition to private training.

“It’s very dialed up, specifically over the last 10 years,” Bowling said. “There’s no downtime.”

But this doesn’t stop parents and kids from buying into the idea of specialization. The concept sounds promising, and with an increase in clubs and programs focusing on skill development at young ages, it’s hard not to feel the pressure.

Jason Dierking, the director of sports performance for Olympic sports at the University of Louisville and a parent of two, recognizes the thought process that prompts many families to join the trend.

“If everybody else is doing it, I have to get my kid into it because I don’t want my kid to be left out,” Dierking said.

Despite the rise of specialization, Dierking has decided against encouraging his children to choose a focus early.

“The trend is going in a very negative direction,” Dierking said. “The exposure too soon, the specialization too soon, the pressure too soon.”

Muscle Memory

One of the most prominent downsides of early sports specialization is the physical risk.

Because it requires intense, year-round training, overuse injuries are common.

Brooke Codey, 16, a sophomore at Assumption High School, plays indoor volleyball for Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA) in addition to beach volleyball. She has experienced problems from overuse. Codey has patellar tendonitis, also known as jumper’s knee, in both of her knees, is a result of playing frequently. This has been a recurring issue for three years, and she now plays with a compression sleeve at each practice and tournament. She has experienced extensive problems from overuse.

Melissa Starck-Bean coaches Codey and numerous other athletes at KIVA. She says that the same injuries are frequent across a lot of her players. KIVA is a nationally high-performing club, so many of their athletes specialized at very young ages.

KIVA clinics and programs begin at age three, and national teams begin at age 10, increasing the pressure to commit to volleyball young. Specialization’s harm is reflected in the players’ physical issues.

“I think all these kids have the same injuries. They’re all having shoulder injuries and knee injuries, which is a direct thing of volleyball,” Starck-Bean said. “But I think if they were playing multiple sports and strengthening other things around their shoulder, whatever, then I think we wouldn’t have the same injuries.”

Multisport athletes are, in fact, at a lower risk of these types of repetitive injuries. One study by the University of Wisconsin found that non-specialized high school athletes had nearly half the rates of repetitive-use injuries when compared to those who specialized.

Athletes who specialize often disregard physical risks because they believe playing multiple sports inhibits progression in one.

However, this isn’t necessarily true. According to Dierking, working muscles in a variety of ways has been proven to improve a range of athletic abilities.

“Overall athleticism generally lends to more resilience,” Dierking said. “It allows you an off-season to try to pursue other opportunities, let your body recover.”

Because different sports have respective seasons, athletes have more time to recharge, reducing the risk of injury.

As a sports chiropractor, Bowling says he can easily see the difference between multisport athletes and specialized athletes can be seen simply by conducting a functional movement assessment of stability and mobility. Multisport athletes generally perform better because they practice a variety of movements through different activities and exercise.

Sports demand muscle usage in unique ways, which helps strengthen different body systems. For example, running is unidirectional and mainly uses leg muscles to drive momentum forward, while tennis players move in lateral directions and therefore use those muscles differently. By focusing on one sport, athletes perform repetitive motions, which contribute to injury risk.

“Your body really only adapts to what you’re asking it to do,” Bowling said. “So if you’re doing the same movement over and over again, that’s where it tends to get hurt.”

For sports professionals like Bowling, the harm of specialization outweighs the chance of lasting success.

“There’s just so much that has to take place between when you’re nine and when you’re a junior, sophomore, senior in high school, where colleges are looking at you,” Bowling said. “It’s just a risky path to take.”

Mental Gymnastics

It’s not just athletes’ bodies that face exhaustion from repetition — it’s their minds as well.

“There’s a whole other aspect of that, too, that’s not just physical, it’s social, emotional,” Dierking said. “That whole side of it is, I think, worse than even maybe the physical unintended consequences.”

Codey first began playing volleyball when she was 11 years old and trains for approximately 14 hours a week. This doesn’t include the several extra hours she spends at games, tournaments or competitions.

She knows firsthand the effects of committing to a sport so young, including burnout, which has led her to reconsider her decision to participate in the sport.

“Multiple times, I have thought about ‘Why am I here? Why am I doing this?’” Codey said.

Youth specifically are at greater risk for adverse effects. Some may begin to associate performance with self-worth, which is correlated with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. However, the risks vary based on young athletes’ environments, as supportive coaches and parents may help reduce pressure and, in turn, the harmful effects.

Elle Cargould, 17, is a senior at North Oldham High School. She’s been running cross country and track since elementary school and is now committed to run at the Division 1 level at The Ohio State University. She recognizes the pressure that adolescents like her face.

“I think when you put all of your eggs in one basket, per se, it can create a lot of pressure for a kid,” Cargould said. “I have definitely had seasons where I felt a little burnout, especially towards the end.”

While athletes who specialize are more likely to face burnout, multisport athletes have higher rates of elite performance through adulthood.

A study by the Association for Psychological Science found that adult world-class athletes often played more sports than their peers and spent less time practicing for their main sport.

There are several reasons this phenomenon occurs. One is that by doing multiple activities, athletes can discover the one that best suits them. This means they’re more likely to be passionate about the sport and enjoy it for longer.

Derek Abrams, 15, a freshman at St. Xavier High School, first began tennis when he was 4 years old and currently plays on his high school team. He acknowledges the benefits of trying multiple sports.

“You get to see what you like the best,” Abrams said. “And whatever you like the best, I say just chase that one.”

Abrams tried basketball in third grade, but found he didn’t like it and was better at tennis. Now, he’s all in. In seventh and eighth grade, Abrams chose to do school online so he could have more time to train and travel for tournaments. He feels that beginning at an early age made him accustomed to the pressure, which helped him as the sport became more demanding.

“Starting younger, you can either be burnt out in the future, or you’re used to it, and you’re so much better doing it instead of starting late,” Abrams said.

At first, he only wanted to play at a high college level, but now he wants to go professional, too. Even though this might have been the same without basketball, playing another sport made him realize that tennis truly is his passion.

Another theory for why multiple sports are useful is that participating in more activities can prevent burnout in one of them.

For example, when Cargould was in middle school, she played basketball. She found that this helped take her mind off running at a time when her races were becoming more stressful.

“I had this other outlet,” Cargould said. “I could go to games, and I could go to practices and not really think about running.”

Under Pressure

Despite the risks involved with specialization, social pressures and competitive athletic programs drive parents and athletes to feel they must specialize to be successful.

In Abrams’ case, he chose to do online school because he saw his most successful competitors doing the same. From his view, it seemed as if all the top players at tournaments had already gone online, so he thought he should too.

Starck-Bean thinks these social factors are closely linked to parental pressure and competition. When children are young, they can’t decide for themselves to join a sport; it’s often the parents’ choice. While kids can demonstrate interest, it’s the guardians who pay for and commit them to lessons and training. Many parents push their kids to excel because they don’t want them to be at a disadvantage.

“I would 100% believe that this is all from parents,” Starck-Bean said. “Parents see what other kids are doing and they love their kids so much, they don’t want them to fall behind.”

In addition, parents and youth feel pressure due to the increasingly competitive environment of high school sports. According to a survey by Project Play, an organization focused on healthy youth sports habits, 53% of parents justified early specialization because their child wants to play in high school.

Many sports that cut athletes require students to be on varsity by senior year. This threat may compel some to specialize.

High school sports can significantly influence a child’s future as they often tie into college athletics. While rare, significant athletic scholarships can save top high school athletes thousands. These can reduce financial burdens on families, giving students an immense future advantage.

In addition to coaching, Starck-Bean is the recruiting coordinator at KIVA. She recognizes the pressure placed on youth to play in college.

“There’s hundreds of thousands of dollars riding on these kids,” Starck-Bean said. “I think the parents’ stress about money bleeds onto these kids.”

However, the concept of specialization can be appealing due to the potential benefits.

For skill-based sports like tennis or volleyball, extensive training helps refine and perfect specific techniques.

Codey thinks that focusing on volleyball helps her significantly. She’s among the nation’s best players and is a 10-time beach volleyball national champion, suggesting that early specialization can pay off.

Similar to Codey, Abrams has also been successful in tennis. He’s ranked as a top 200 player in the nation and is in the top two in Kentucky for his age. Since he began the sport so young, Abrams feels fortunate that his love for tennis hasn’t diminished.

“I say 4 was pretty young because I didn’t really know what I was doing,” Abrams said. “I think I just got a little lucky to keep playing.”

But even in highly competitive environments, Abrams ensures that he still has fun and avoids being pushed into commitments he isn’t passionate about. When scheduling lessons and tournaments, his parents ask his permission rather than forcing him into something.

This reduced pressure, along with a strong work ethic, explains how he’s maintained success despite the risks of specializing young.

Abrams’ internal drive to work hard is a quality that Bowling feels is a major factor in athletes’ performance. Bowling’s most successful athletes loved the sport and wanted to work at it, and that was more important than whether they specialized or not.

“If you’re preparing for the long game, where you’re going through high school, college and hopefully beyond, all of that motivation has to come from within, not from trying to impress somebody else,” Bowling said.

Without this driving desire to play a sport for the love of it, athletes face not only short-term risks but long-term implications.

According to a 2024 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, 70% of youth athletes drop out of organized sports by age 13. Burnout, injuries or other commitments directly impact this dropout rate, increasing the chance that children’s impressions of sports and exercise will be negatively altered.

“I think exercise for the rest of us needs to serve as a lifelong activity that is good for both mental and physical well-being,” Bowling said. “Whereas I’ve seen so many kids overdo it in high school, end up hating that activity and never want to do it again for the rest of their lives.”

Exercise has an immense impact on mental and physical health, which directly correlates with longevity. Decreased motivation to exercise at a young age can shape habits and therefore lifelong outcomes.

According to a study published in the Annals of Medicine journal, those who participated in sports in high school had better mental health and physical activity outcomes at age 26.

Specialization can lead to high performance, as seen with Abrams, Codey and numerous professional athletes. However, elite youth often don’t remain successful through adulthood. Therefore, it’s up to young athletes and their families to decide whether the risks are ultimately worth it in the end.

“I think early specialization has been one of the most harmful things I’ve seen with kids and sports,” Bowling said. “I think we’re getting too far away from understanding what the true role of sports should be.”

This story was originally published on On the Record on May 22, 2026.

Students will once again be able to take Chinese at McLean next year. Pearson has also regained her job.

“I am just very happy,” Pearson said. “I think in my last year, I can be relaxed. Otherwise, it is unfair.”

After McLean canceled Chinese on April 23, parents began reaching out to both the FCPS school board and Principal Raven Jones, requesting that the administration reconsider its decision.

“I think our actions really helped create pressure, and the school realized they were in the wrong because of the amount of pressure generated by parents and students,” said Tian Olson, Secretary of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board. “We are interested in knowing what measures weighed in on the decision and how we can make this more sustainable in the future.”

Likewise, Principal Raven Jones attributes the restoration of Chinese to ardent student and parent advocacy.

“We didn’t cut the language as a punitive measure,” Jones said. “I don’t think we, [as an administration], necessarily fully understood how important having Chinese was to our community, and how deeply tied the culture is to the language.”

According to Jones, McLean’s initial decision to remove Chinese came as a result of imminent budgeting concerns. McLean’s projected student-to-teacher ratio would not be viable, especially given inadequate county funding.

“We staff schools based on student enrollment with a metric called Full-Time Equivalent (FTE), meaning we get a full-time teacher per so many kids,” Jones said. “The district formula for this year was 31.2 students for every teacher. We lost around 100 students to Langley because of redistricting, and calculations for staffing didn’t go back up as we anticipated because of budget shortfalls.”

The shortfall left McLean with 14 excess staffing positions for the 2026-27 school year. Chinese was prioritized for removal, along with other electives.

“You can’t cut core classes; those are required to graduate. So we look at elective classes and long-term trends over time, about five years,” Jones said. “Chinese was not the only language we cut—it’s just the one that got the most attention. We also cut to Spanish, science classes and the ESOL program.”

Data tracking enrollment trends for German, Latin and Chinese—historically less popular languages—shows that student counts were all around the same for the 2026-27 school year. The defining factor was the trends leading up to this year, which showed a considerable decline for Chinese, unlike the other two languages.

“We started our Chinese program in the 2022-23 school year with 127 students across all levels,” Jones said. “However, we steadily lost numbers for a variety of reasons, and we ran it last year with only 87 students after post-first quarter class transfers.”

McLean plans to combine five Chinese sections into four because of low enrollment, a change that will reduce Pearson to part-time. Initially, 87 students had registered for the classes, but that projection dropped significantly due to student dropouts and freshmen opting to attend Thomas Jefferson High School after receiving their acceptance in April.

“I don’t have to go to another school [to fill my remaining time], but I am still missing one section out of the required five for a full time position,” Pearson said. “ I am willing to do another section in the ESOL department.”

Even after the reinstatement, the uncertainty surrounding the status of Chinese has led many students to drop the course entirely in favor of other electives.

“I was originally in AP Chinese because I wanted to continue my Chinese learning to the highest level,” sophomore Rebecca Sarmiento said. “I probably won’t be taking Chinese anymore, just because I realized that it might not fit well with my schedule.”

Many parents also remain dissatisfied with the school’s handling of these developments—specifically due to the lack of community collaboration and engagement.

“The whole process was so opaque; they did not really involve parents in their decision process,” Olson said. “We don’t know for sure how McLean addressed the budgetary concerns.”

Still, Olson lauds the Chinese community for its courageous advocacy.

“It’s very encouraging that I saw so many parents step up to make their voice heard,” Olson said. “It’s a very positive change. The majority of these parents are born and raised in China. Coming from our home country, we were taught to be submissive to authority. But that’s not the same in America. Had all the parents carried their old mentality, nothing would have changed.”

Because funding is so precarious, McLean’s ability to support Chinese class, along with other non-essential electives, must be reconsidered on a yearly basis.

“Ever program is re-evaluated every year, not just Chinese, because our budget changes yearly,” Jones said. “It really does impact everything in our school, down to what kind of field trips we’re able to run, because you have to be very frugal at that point.”

The seemingly temporary nature of this decision has frustrated many parents.

“It sounds like the process will be reevaluated annually. What will happen in the future?” Olson said. “If this happens again, the parents and students absolutely need to step up to make our wish known. The work needs to start now, and we need to find out how we can make keeping Chinese sustainable.”

McLean’s budget initially could not support Pearson’s teaching position for the upcoming school year. However, the FCPS Senior Leadership Team intervened and approved a one-time funding exception. The team, which consists of the superintendent and other members, sets the district’s policy.

“It took senior leadership coming in and saying, ‘We can loosen some constraints,'” Jones said. “Those aren’t calls we schools have the authority to make. There was literally no way for us to figure out a solution with the constraints we originally had; we tried for weeks. The Senior Leadership Team gave us more flexibility with what we could trade funding allocations for within the school.”

Allocating this funding towards Chinese has curtailed the potential expansion of other school programs.

“Before, we were planning to get an instructional coach this year to help with our students with disabilities and multilingual learners. However, we’re having to put this on hold for a year,” Jones said. “We’re also having to get creative with how we support these essential needs students. We have some staff members who are going to do double duty.”

Within her capacity as a member of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board, Olson has been working with legislators to devise solutions for supporting the Chinese program. She believes that an increase in funding specifically for world languages may ameliorate the crisis.

“I met with Senator Tim Kaine and Senator Mark Warner to share a proposed bill for a federal grant to fund high school Chinese programs,” Olson said. “I also brainstormed with multiple delegates. All of them confirmed that the state budget for fiscal year 2027 has already been decided, leaving no wiggle room.”

Olson also reached out to Jones about the Virginia Department of Education’s Critical National Security Language Initiatve Grant Program, which funds full-time teaching positions for critical foreign language instruction. The two are working together to apply for the grant, which requires biennial renewal and approval by the Virginia General Assembly.

“I am hopeful that we will find a long-term solution,” Olson said. “I believe a plan that will put all these uncertainties to rest is having a designated line item for the world language program written into the state budget, so when the budget is sent to localities, that specific pot of money for world languages will not be dispersed for anything else.”

Ultimately, Jones expresses regret for McLean’s lack of attention towards protecting the Chinese community’s cultural identity.

“One of the parents that reached out to me shared a story about how her son is able to talk to her grandmother back at home because of the Chinese he learned at McLean. This is something we don’t want to take away,” Jones said. “Had we known how deeply connected people were to the heritage aspect of removing Chinese, we would have thought more closely about how everything folded out.”

This story was originally published on The Highlander on May 24, 2026.

The persistence of such conditions reflects a broader global tension: governments around the world tighten borders and increasingly assert their rights to state sovereignty—a nation’s right to determine who enters, gets employed or removed from its territory. Under this premise, many states abuse this sovereign power under claims of national security and economic protectionism to strip migrant workers of their basic human rights guaranteed under international law. 

This pattern stands particularly evident in South Korea, where the Employment Permit System (EPS), created in 2004 to regulate labor migration and reduce illegal brokerage, is dubbed “modern-day slavery.” The system’s reliance on employer power and its job-locking structure make migrant workers’ autonomy depend on employer power rather than international standards of immigrant rights.

The root of this controversy traces back decades. Before the EPS, the Korean Government initially launched the Industrial Trainee System to address labor shortages in manufacturing and agriculture by recruiting migrant workers. Throughout the early 2000s, the number of migrant laborers skyrocketed in the country and simultaneously created a storm of 300,000 illegal overstays and 7 million won brokerage fees that put workers into years of debt and hundreds of cases of denied labor rights. 

As a response, the EPS replaced the prior framework to regulate the surge in the foreign labor force. Employers who cannot find enough domestic workers can hire migrant laborers through a government-run visa system. In theory, the shift reduces reliance on illegal brokerage and makes employment more transparent.

Still, legal worker status did not grant equal rights. Migrant workers remain confined at the bottom of Korea’s labor hierarchy, considered more as cheap labor than as rights-bearing individuals. Faizan Mohannad, a Korean migrant worker from Pakistan, said, “I think the pay is too little compared to the amount of work I do…the work is physically difficult and tiring. I want a better job with better working conditions, with better pay for the amount of effort workers put into the job.” 

Udaya Mahadar Rai, chairman of Korea’s Migrants’ Trade Union, echoed, “We are the same people, the same workers, yet people avoid even being around us. They ignore migrant workers, make us do the same work for longer hours and pay us less. Because we come from poorer countries, because they think we are uneducated, they treat us as if we do not deserve respect, and some even resort to violence.”          

 The system’s employment-tied visas shackle migrant worker mobility to find better working environments and, often, escape exploitative employers. The legislation restricts foreign workers to three job changes over three years. Without proper authorization, workers face risks of deportation. 

Sonlong Hoang, a Vietnamese migrant worker in Daegu’s agricultural industry, said, “The system feels strict, especially when other workers or I face problems at work…I tried to change jobs before because of the work environment, but I couldn’t change workplaces because the process is complicated.” 

Job transfers are permitted only under narrow conditions, such as business closure or documented abuse. Yet such human right violations remain difficult to prove, as exploitation often occurs in isolated workplaces with little surveillance. Making matters worse, many workers face language barriers when navigating the Korean legal system. 

Rai underscored how the policy’s job-locking structure leaves significant blind spots in human rights protection. “The Employment Permit System itself restricts migrant workers’ rights. All the power lies with employers, while workers are left only with the obligation to work…when workers want to change workplaces, they first need the employer’s consent. The employer has to file employment change documents and explain the reason for the transfer, but employers almost never approve them. We are left with no choice but to endure and continue working. Otherwise, we become undocumented migrants,” said Rai. 

Migrants stand vulnerable to human right violations because they are not citizens of receiving states; foreign laborers face nearly three times as much vulnerability to exploitation and wage discrimination compared to locals. Rai added, “Many workers take their own lives because they can no longer endure forced labor, discrimination or violence. Migrant workers are treated as less than human while working under EPS, and employers use these restrictions to control every aspect of their lives. Because of the system, workers cannot demand anything from employers.”

Because the policy’s foundation lies less in expanding universal human rights than in controlling undocumented workers, there is a lack of legal and linguistic support systems to protect migrant laborers. A report on foreign workers in South Korea stated that low-quality state-provided interpreters led to discrimination in industrial-accidental claims: occupational disease claim approval stood 61.23% for domestic workers but only 28.97% for migrant workers. 

For many, those barriers emerge long before legal disputes reach formal institutions; it stems from the very factory floors that sustain the country’s economy. Language differences barricade workers not merely from workplace communication, but their right to prove claims, file complaints and exercise their legal rights. Heantssmoont Chea, a Cambodian migrant laborer, said, “One of the hardest things is the language…it’s difficult to communicate with Korean people or fully understand instructions inside and outside of work.”

While it holds true that states reserve the right to control borders and hold the responsibility to protect citizens, the bounds to which they ought to protect the rights of non-citizens under international law remain obscure. Although states possess the authority to manage migration flows into, through and from their territory, their obligation by international law to do so in such a way that upholds the rights of individuals within their territory and under their jurisdiction takes precedence.  

The Employment Permit System transformed legal status into a structure of dependency and legalized exploitation based on the vulnerability of migrant laborers. The Korean government, and by extension, governments around the world, must move beyond simply granting permission for employment and instead guarantee the fundamental protections and dignity owed to those who are non-citizens, yet are still human. 

Before foreign laborers are viewed as key forces that the nation’s economy depends on, they must first be acknowledged as rights-bearing individuals. “The Employment Permit System must be abolished. Instead, we continue to advocate for a Labor Permit System that allows workers to move and work freely. Only then can decades of unjust denial of migrant workers’ rights finally be corrected,” said Rai.

This story was originally published on Jets Flyover on May 27, 2026.

Kingwood Township School special education teacher Maureen Silva has attended the event for 22 years.

“This gives a low-key time for the kids to shine without being criticized by their friends and just being successful all day long,” Silva said. “It’s a great event that you guys help put on. The kids love it. Keep doing it forever.”

Silva is grateful that the Del Val district has kept up with the tradition even after the state left it behind.

“This event used to be run by the state, and about 15 years ago with budget cuts, it was cut,” Silva said. “But, Holland Township School said, ‘Nope, we love it. We’re going to keep it going.’ So, we can thank the staff at Holland Township School for keeping it going.”

Holland staff members aren’t alone in their affinity for Tournament of Champions. Del Val Buddies/Unified and National Honor Society students, who ran the event’s stations, had a variety of favorite moments from the day. 

Maggie Prouty, a sophomore member of Buddies/Unified, was one of a handful of students leading the sprinting station and enjoyed encouraging the participants.

“I think [my favorite part was] running with the kids—the ones who kinda lost their motivation a little bit as they went around [the track],” Prouty said. “We were able to amp them back up and get them to finish.”

When kids were looking for a break from the more physically demanding stations, they headed to the temporary tattoo and sand art tables. Senior Reagan Valachovic worked the temporary tattoo station and got to hear about these kinds of sweet moments—like the one Prouty described—immediately after the fact.

“I loved talking to all the kids and hearing how much fun they had,” Valachovic said.

Just as much as the older students enjoyed bonding with the younger ones, the teachers enjoyed watching them.

“I just love how the kids come together,” Silva said. “The big Buddies program helps everyone out, and the kids have a blast.”

Families were also welcome to spectate and assist their athletes. This helped many students to feel more comfortable.

“I really liked when my grandpa and my mama came,” Everly from Alexandria Township School said.

The inclusion of families enhanced participants’ experiences and facilitated a broader sense of unity and connection, which is what Tournament of Champions is all about, according to Del Val Buddies/Unified advisor Dana Stem.

“I hope that they see inclusion and that our community is there to support them,” Stem said.

The overarching goal of the event is to foster unity and help each of the students feel like “champions.” Sadie Erling, a Del Val junior who also hosted the sprinting station, believes that it accomplished exactly that.

“I thought it was just a great experience for them,” Erling said. “I hope they had a fun time, and I hope they come back next year.”

This story was originally published on The Delphi on May 27, 2026.

Ruby has been performing in school, camp and external theater program productions since she was eight. She felt like a professional role would allow her to take her love of theater to the next level.

“I’ve gotten to learn so much on this show, and I’ve definitely improved my craft and everything I’m doing,” Ruby said. “And I just love learning everything about professional shows, because it’s so different from school productions or camp productions.”

“Appropriate” is a family drama about a group of siblings who return to their father’s plantation house following his death. Throughout their time preparing for an estate sale, they discover various family secrets, including a past of racism that leads them to question what they truly knew about their father.

The audition for “Appropriate” was an open call, meaning anyone could submit a video. Ruby heard of the opportunity because her mom, Alexa Spencer, had previously been involved with directing at Olney Theatre Center.

“I was sent the announcement that they were looking for someone who could play 13, and Ruby looks young, so I thought, well, I’ll just see if she’s interested in auditioning,” Alexa said. “ … I sort of thought, well, it’s a long shot, so why not just go for it?”

When Alexa learned that Ruby got the role, she immediately contacted her to tell her she was Cassidy, and the part was double-cast, meaning Ruby would be working alongside Kirsten Cocks, a seventh grade student at Glenelg Country School in Glenelg, Maryland.

Throughout the rehearsal process, Ruby and Cocks spent a minimum of three hours, six days a week practicing scenes so each actor could get a feel for the part. They learned from each other and began taking pieces from each other’s performances to build their unique versions of Cassidy. Cocks said that she and Ruby became close friends throughout rehearsals, developing an almost sisterly relationship.

“I like seeing her every day, and sharing the same dressing room is so fun because we write jokes on the [white] board, and then I see them every day when I come in, but I just love her vibe, and having her as a double,” Cocks said.

Because of the intensive rehearsal schedule, Ruby had to work hard to stay on top of her schoolwork, studying during her rehearsal breaks. JDS allowed Ruby to have two study halls so that she could stay on top of assignments in her core classes.

“It’s really about commitment,” Ruby said. “That’s what really makes the show keep going and what really draws the audience in. I’d say everybody in this show fully commits to everything they’re doing.”

Alexa appreciates the accommodations made for Ruby, and admired Ruby’s drive to prioritize her school work so she could later focus on her performance.

“We really have been overwhelmed by the support of JDS in the rehearsal process,” Alexa said. “I think five of her teachers came this weekend, and having that kind of school support is not a given. We don’t know if she would have been able to do this if she was still in her public school from last year… We’re really happy that the school saw this as a great educational opportunity.”

Once the rehearsal process was over, the play went into a week of previews. Despite her nerves for her first professional performance, Ruby felt extremely rewarded after completing her first show.

“The best part of opening the show was just leaving and being in the lobby and hearing people come up to me and be like, ‘That was just such an amazing show to watch,’” Ruby said.

Ruby said that the experience of being in a professional show is unlike anything she has done before. As Ruby intends to participate in more professional productions and eventually work as an actress, she has taken a lot away from her first opportunity to be in a professional show.

This story was originally published on The Lion’s Tale on May 26, 2026.

The sun rises and it’s brisk. By 8 a.m., the lot is filled with 18-wheelers. Students pace alongside them, holding wooden pointers and reciting pre-trip inspections as instructors watch closely.

It’s a new beginning. For some, it’s their first time around trucks. For others, it’s a career that has followed them throughout their lives.

For the past three years, El Camino’s Community and Continuing Education Department — partnered with the TGA Truck Driving School — provides students a non-credit opportunity to learn a new career in just 10 weeks.

The program’s destination is not just for students to pass their California Class A commercial truck driving licensure test, but to get a job in the industry.

For instructor Mike Evans, 56, this goal is simple.

“The main thing is a career, a job,” Evans said. “It’s more than just a license.”

Job placement is uncertain in many educational pathways, but El Camino and TGA’s partnership is built for immediate employment.

“Once they graduate, they have eight different job offers,” Evans said.

Evans, originally from Los Angeles, spent 36 years in the trucking industry before becoming an instructor with TGA at El Camino in August 2025.

Instead of hauling loads, he’s preparing students to enter the world of trucking.

Job offers after completing the program come from nationally recognized carriers, including Swift, Schneider and Western Express. Evans said those are the most frequent recruiters.

“That’s just the ones we call, but there’s more,” Evans added.

Unlike traditional academic programs on campus, the course compresses everything into two and a half months. The students begin in the classroom, preparing for permit exams and learning regulations, before heading out to Lot L — known as “the yard” — where the training becomes more physical.

Repeatedly, they walk around and point, waving their wooden pointers around like wands.

“Pre-trip is just making sure everything’s working,” Evans said. “Teaching them, showing them the materials to pass when they take the exam at the DMV.”

The repetition can feel relentless, but it’s intentional.

“It’s almost like getting a master’s [degree],” Evans said. “Maybe not as much time, but it’s a lot of effort and a lot of rules and a lot of stuff you’ve got to learn in a 10-week period.”

For graduate Gladys Kimberly Reyes, 32, this structure made all the difference.

Before enrolling in the program on campus, she had tried multiple different trucking schools. Each time, she stepped away.

“The difference that I saw in the other schools, they just give you an app and tell you [to] go take the test,” Reyes said. “I felt like it was just a paycheck for them.”

She remembers feeling lost and helpless in her three previous programs.

“I had a lot of difficulty, so I’m assuming that’s why I kept dropping out, because I didn’t have someone there to actually help me,” Reyes said.

Reyes found out about the trucking program at El Camino through a friend. It was convenient, as she was working at the Port of Los Angeles. She enrolled in the upcoming course and got to work, where she first met TGA instructor Andrea Viera.

“I met Andrea, met her team. And I was really fascinated, like, in the beginning,” Reyes said. “I wasn’t feeling lost. I was feeling really motivated.”

Reyes, a student who once felt hopeless, finally met her match with El Camino and TGA.

“I gave my 50% into actually make it. But they gave me the 50% back to understand it,” Reyes said. “That’s what made me get through the class, get through the testing and pass everything on the first try.”

Reyes graduated from the program in October 2025 and got a job with Prime Inc., a freight transport and logistics trucking company based in Springfield, Missouri. TGA helped her land this job, and she’s been driving ever since.

“I literally have not stopped,” Reyes said. “Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving — I was driving.”

Not every student stays on the road after graduation, but the program can still help shape a career.

Treveon Allums, 28, is from Shreveport, Louisiana, and moved to California in late 2025. Carrying a noticeable Louisiana accent and no experience behind the wheel, he decided to take a chance with the program.

Allums was not initially a student at El Camino, but he found out about the trucking program while searching for employment at America’s Job Center of California in Torrance. The opportunity to get his commercial driver’s license and a grant caught his eye.

“The whole process was phenomenal. I’m not gonna lie,” Allums said. “Coming in, I didn’t have any experience with the trucks. They really took time to teach us about the trucks, not only how to drive the trucks, but how the trucks operate.”

He gave heavy praise to Evans and Viera. He said they were both excellent instructors who played a huge part in his experience in the program.

After completing the program in January, Allums decided to take a different route.

He decided to re-enroll as a business administration and management major at El Camino and started participating in on-campus organizations to grow his personal network.

He’s now part of the Formerly Incarcerated Re-Entry Students Thriving Program and Men of Color Action Network, while also having his own company, TAP ’N LLC, which moves freight from other companies.

Allums’ goal is to get his degree in business administration and apply his skills to his business all while exploring potential job opportunities.

Allums said he is grateful for having the opportunity to take and complete the program and sees it as a vital stepping stone toward entrepreneurship.

“I thank God for the opportunity — it was phenomenal,” Allums said.

The El Camino trucking program offers a flexible schedule, making it available for a wide range of students. Evans said he’s had students ranging in age from 22 to 58.

There are three time options for the program: morning, 8 a.m. to noon; evening, 1-5 p.m.; and night, 6-10 p.m. Classes take place Monday through Thursday and are all taught by Evans, with assistant Kevin Millones and substitute Viera.

The class variety is convenient for students in different stages of their careers. The 8 a.m. course this spring also includes Delorean Harry and Jim Hitt.

Harry, 41, born in South Los Angeles, is looking for a new beginning to his career. He spent 18 years living in Georgia and Alabama before coming back to Los Angeles last year.

“Before I even turned 22, I was in the streets out here, been to 15 funerals before I turned 19.
It was depressing,” Harry said. “I went out there, had a chip on my shoulder. The South can really humble somebody.”

He came back as part of his five-year plan, which includes starting a career and caring for his elderly mother. He said that he’s already ahead of his plan.

Harry chose the morning class to have more time throughout the day to help out his elderly mother in the early stages of dementia, to better accommodate his appointments and to attend to others who depend on him for rides.

Hitt, 59, is a Torrance native and former El Camino College student not in search of a new beginning, but an advancement in his career.

A former fire science student at El Camino, Hitt is the director of operations at Code Four, a marketing company based in Huntington Beach.

The reason he chose the early morning class is to go to work afterward, where his main priority is setting up Sofi Stadium with signage for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The whole reason why I’m taking this class is to drive the stage,” Hitt said. “We have a stage we move around [at Sofi Stadium].”

Getting a commercial driver’s license is both a personal and career-driven goal for Hitt.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to get a class A license, but the company [Code Four] is supporting it by paying for me to come here,” Hitt said.

Although these two are on different paths, they work as a team and share a common goal: to get a commercial driver’s license.

Harry, Hitt and a few other classmates often meet outside of class time to study. Sometimes at Starbucks and sometimes even Hitt’s job in Huntington Beach.

“When I have the opportunity where I work — we could use our box trucks as examples and study on those,” Hitt said.

They use this study time to perfect their pre-trip inspections in the midst of their grueling 10-week course.

Harry, Hitt, and their other classmates aim to complete the program in May 2026.

The trucking industry is a unique one, as it — like many others — is one that is constantly evolving while making changes to help the economy and drivers.

The biggest change in the industry since Evans started driving 36 years ago is the shift to automatic transmissions.

“Not only is it better for fuel efficiency, but it also significantly extends driver life as it’s less fatiguing on their knees,” Evans said.

Job security is a major factor that draws students to the program. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic when many industries were facing massive layoffs, truckers stood tall. Evans has firsthand experience working through the global pandemic.

“[COVID-19] didn’t ever shut the industry down because things have to move on trucks,” Evans said.

For Dennis Haynes, a container freight station manager for the Redondo Beach-based DSD Trucking — consistency has always defined the trucking industry.

“Cargo is steady,” Haynes said. “I’ve always had that opportunity to make pretty much as much money as I really wanted to — as many hours as I was willing to work.”

Haynes, 66, started driving when he was 19. Working in the warehouse with DSD before becoming a driver, he used his skills to eventually create his own container freight station.

Haynes and DSD primarily pick up cargo from LAX, the same place where he learned to drive his truck. Work never stops at LAX.

“The planes never stop landing, so cargo is steady coming in — 24 hours a day,” Haynes said.

While COVID-19 never shut down the industry, it did reduce work.

“It affected [trucking] quite a bit,” Haynes said. “There was not as much cargo coming into LAX … the world was pretty much shut down.”

The biggest change was having to slightly cut some of his drivers’ hours. Giving them only four hours a day rather than their standard eight.

Haynes said since trucking is labeled as essential, they still had the opportunity to go out and work when others didn’t.

Security is why April 2025 alumnus Dion Geata, 44, chose to enroll in the course.

Gaeta was an aspiring actor who moved from Iowa to Los Angeles in hopes of getting his first big break.

As he grew older, he started to realize that acting jobs were getting harder to come by.

“Well, I stopped getting the roles,” Gaeta said. “Getting the auditions… for like, ‘guy coming out of the pool’ — to ‘guy coming out of the pool’s father.’”

The effect on the film industry due to the Palisades fires was the breaking point in his shift to trucking, as jobs were harder to come by.

“When the fires happened, I was looking for a change, and I decided to go with truck driving because I’d always been interested,” Gaeta said.

Growing up in Iowa, Gaeta felt like he was destined to drive trucks.

“I had family members when I was growing up who were in trucking and I grew up on a farm, so I was operating heavy machinery from a very young age.” Gaeta said. “Trucking is always one of those things where it’s kind of like in my peripheral.”

Gaeta enjoyed the challenge the course brought. Learning to use heavy machinery in only 10 weeks was an interesting experience.

“The class was great. It’s really interesting — it’s very difficult in a sense,” Gaeta said. “Ten weeks is just — it’s like, you know, you’re learning to operate heavy machinery in a very fast-paced moving environment.”

Gaeta is now happily working with May Trucking Company in Oregon. He applied to the company through El Camino, but he also applied to Werner, Swift and others.

“May is a great company. I highly recommend new drivers try out — if they can pass the tests,” Gaeta said.

Although he enjoys his job and the company he works for, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in Gaeta’s eyes.

“I like the job. I enjoy being in the truck. I enjoy doing the pickups and the deliveries,” Gaeta said. “But as far as the industry goes, there’s a lot of things in the industry that I don’t particularly care for.”

Gaeta says the lack of regulation is a concern for him in the industry.

“You get all these promises, oh, we make $50,000 a year, $80,000 a year, so on and so forth.” Gaeta said. “Unfortunately, there is no real oversight to that.”

Other aspects of the industry also decided the paths taken. That is especially true for Villones, a TGA instructor at El Camino.

He was an owner and operator of his own LLC for five years before becoming an instructor with TGA. He chose to stay local, only going as far as San Diego to stay close to family.

“That way I’m always home every night,” Villones said. “I didn’t want the truck to absorb my life.”

El Camino partnered with TGA Truck Driving School in 2023, under a one-year agreement renewable for up to five years. The partnership has been extended through 2026 and was most recently renewed on Jan. 21.

The original contract outlined a payment structure based on students and contained three units: permit preparation, range training, and road training. In 2024, it was switched to a flat revenue rate of 15% of student registration fees.

Despite the change, the program’s finances have not shifted. Since 2023, El Camino estimates $311,952 in revenue and $228,000 in expenses, resulting in an estimated net gain of $83,952.

Viera, a TGA instructor, said TGA Truck Driving School is currently working on a program that would allow students to graduate in just five weeks.

“I’ve already graduated students within five weeks, and it’s been working out,” Viera said. “We’re just trying to make it official.”

It is unclear if El Camino College will adopt these five-week courses.

While contracts, revenue and expansions shape the future of the partnership, the impact is visible every day in Lot L.

The sun sets and it’s cold. By 10 p.m., the lot is still filled with 18-wheelers as students put away their wooden pointers and head back to their cars while instructors also pack up for the night.

Lot L isn’t what it once was. It is now a concrete ground for stability, advancement or even a new beginning.

For students like Kimberly-Reyes, it’s proof that the right environment can mean all the difference.

“I wasn’t feeling lost,” Reyes said. “I was really feeling motivated.”

This story was originally published on El Camino College Union on May 26, 2026.

Instead, she found herself accused of abusing her children, at the beginning of a long journey involving medical malpractice, misdiagnoses, and a battle for the custody of her children.

Goble’s son was gulping down breaths of air as his tiny belly filled with pressure. From the moment she walked into the hospital, she felt the atmosphere shift, as a scan showed that her son was suffering 14 separate fractures. She didn’t know that a narrative was already writing itself. 

“They told us there were fractures in multiple stages of healing,” Goble said. “They hotlined child abuse. We believed them.”

As Goble’s world quickly turned around, she searched for answers to explain what had happened to her son. 

“We had just hired a nanny at the time. We thought she did something. We thought she abused our son,” Goble said. 

Goble and her husband knew they hadn’t hurt their baby. But nobody treated them like parents. No one explained their rights. Labeled as criminals, they weren’t even allowed to be alone with their son. 

“They held us for a week,” Goble said. “A week of being told we were dangerous.” 

When they stepped into the courtroom, the accusations hardened into a narrative that no one questioned. Child Protective Services (CPS) handed her a paper full of inaccurate claims that she had never seen before. 

“The judge didn’t ask a single question,” Goble said. “Thirty minutes. That’s all it took to take our children.”

Months later, independent specialists reinvestigated every assumption the children’s hospital had made. A pediatric radiologist confirmed that there were only two fractures, not 14.  A pediatric neurologist later diagnosed craniosynostosis, a skeletal growth disorder that can place pressure or break a baby’s fragile bones. 

Goble herself was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, an inherited genetic tissue disorder known to cause fragile bones. 

None of it had been tested before the accusations were made. None of it had been considered.

The hospital’s misjudgment wasn’t just a human error. According to the National Library of Medicine, emergency room doctors report a 60% burnout rate. Every day, they grapple with crowded hospitals, fatigue from their personal lives, and an overwhelming number of patients. 

The Gobles’ case perfectly illustrates the systematic stresses that doctors face. Often overworked, there is little time for them to conduct drawn-out investigations in high-stress cases, like one of potential child abuse.

“If they haven’t slept or if they’re managing multiple patients, they don’t always have time to think through a complex diagnosis fully,” said Alexandra Claussen, a registered nurse. 

Even with electronic health records that allow providers to review years of medical history, institutional issues persist. Hospitals that operate under profit margins or staffing constraints leave doctors and nurses without the mental space to reflect on complex cases, such as the Gobles’. Employment regulations, such as limits on working hours and staffing support, can help mitigate errors, but the stakes remain high, and the repercussions are severe.

This story was originally published on Scot Scoop News on May 20, 2026.