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Watch one student’s journey from incurable anger to unstoppable ambition

September 19, 2017

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Chris entered the Merced County Office of Education Sierra Program, a place for students with behavioral issues and conduct disorders, at the end of his fifth-grade year. After his father left the family when he was ten, Chris struggled to control anger, throwing chairs, desks and books at his teacher. It took years of patience, but Chris eventually learned to harness his aggression with the help of dedicated Special Education Coordinator Cindy Heaton, Sierra Program vocational trainer Katherine Gutierrez, and Sierra Program teacher Caleb Hampton. As Chris has learned to adapt thanks to the Sierra Program, he’s also more involved with his younger siblings, becoming the father figure he never had to his little brother and sister. Chris’ transformation is almost impossible to fathom. The kid who once punched a teacher out of sheer anger is now a mature young man who is confident about his future and eager to achieve his dreams.

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