Introducing Fire Academy 112: CHC recognizes 33 graduates at its spring cohort celebration - Crafton Hills College

Publish Date: May 22, 2025

CHC Fire Academy 112

Every Crafton Hills College Fire Academy has a story, and its 112th class is no different. 

The 33 program graduates included former U.S. Marines, world travelers and even erstwhile sponsored skateboarders, all of whom were recognized May 22, during a special graduation ceremony held inside the Finkelstein Performing Arts Center.

Bret Raney, a program alumnus, took a moment to recall the moment he walked across the PAC stage to receive his program certificate decades ago, reflecting on the program’s 41-year history of celebrating academy accomplishments inside the PAC. 

Academy graduation ceremonies are invariably steeped in tradition-- from the announcement of program graduates to the presentation of a class plaque that will hang in classroom halls. Academy leaders kept things light and encouraged family and friends in attendance to hoot and holler for their graduate.

Four special awards were given out to academy graduates:

  • The MT 241 Scholarship Award: Ferdinand Torres
  • The Highest Academic Achievement Award: Rylan Burnett
  • The Most Inspirational Cadet Award: Paul Viramontes

The last award—The Instructors’ Award—was presented to Jose Villa, who in addition to being named academy leader also delivered the class address.

Villa’s remarks highlighted the work that went into completing the 18-week program. Long days and loads of classwork were quite demanding, but each cadet brought their best to every learning opportunity, creating a “brotherhood” founded through blood, sweat and – sometimes -- tears.

Villa went on to say that he and fellow cadets learned more than how to be firefighters, saying “We learned how to be problem solvers, leaders, how to dictate within ourselves and never fall short of giving it everything we’ve got. Ultimately, we learned how to become better well-rounded men,” he said.

Academy Chief Ryan Harold closed out the ceremony by also reflecting on the class’s dedication to “compete for the badge they worked so hard for” by sharing some of the realities of the job. But he wanted to stress to the graduates that the skills, knowledge and discipline learned at Crafton are just the foundation needed to do the job.

“The true essence of being a firefighter is rooted in the heart,” he said. “It’s the courage to run towards danger when others are running away. It’s in the compassion you show to a family who just lost everything. It’s in the strength you find even in the toughest moments.

“There will be days that challenge you. There will be calls that test you. But know this, you are prepared. You’re ready and you won’t face these challenges alone,” he continued. “The fire service is your second family… and you have [the entire] community right beside you. 

Crafton Hills College offers two full-time academies per year. To learn more, go to craftonhills.edu/fireacademy.