RISE Students Build Confidence Through Summer Empowerment Workshops 

The heat was on as students stepped into the ring. Not only to face their opponent, but to overcome challenges they face within themselves. For the past eight weeks, students at CLC Tech, a school within KCSOS’s Reaching Individual Success through Education (RISE) program, have had the unique opportunity to participate in a new Empowerment Workshop in collaboration with Bakersfield’s Warm Up Athletics. 

The camp was designed to build confidence and discipline by giving students firsthand lessons facilitated by professional boxer Joel Iriarte, who at the age of 23 started his own non-profit organization to provide mentorship geared toward at-risk students. The program also allowed students to earn up to 19 high school credits, helping them stay on track for graduation.

Warm Up Athletics was founded with the goal of using boxing to build confidence and discipline in children with special needs, partnering with organizations like League of Dreams. It later expanded into mentoring foster youth and at-risk students after Iriarte and General Manager Martin Hernandez Espinosa realized that they wanted to do more to positively impact youth throughout Kern County.

“Our goal was to reach out and impact more lives through boxing, because that was something that was given to me,” Iriarte said. “As a young kid, someone opened their doors and it allowed me to box and that changed my life.” 

He said boxing shaped far more than his athletic ability. His first coach taught him that championships, money, and recognition are temporary, but the impact a person has on others is what truly endures. That lesson has stayed with him throughout his life, and today he is passing it on to others.

That mission led Iriarte to connect with CLC Tech Principal Salvador Arias. Rather than hosting a one-time motivational presentation, Arias wanted to ensure the program would build lasting relationships and provide consistent support throughout the summer.

To foster meaningful relationships and provide consistent support, the program was structured with four initial sessions at CLC Tech, followed by three sessions at the Warm Up Athletics gym. 

Before lacing up their gloves, students begin each session by discussing the day’s lesson and completing personal reflection activities. 

Prompts such as “The person I want to become would be proud of me if I…” and “What strengths do you have that you haven’t recognized before?” encourage students to think beyond boxing and focus on personal growth.

As the program progressed, KCSOS staff and the coaches quickly noticed students becoming more confident and engaged.

“We have students who were very introverted and didn’t talk much to classmates, but since beginning this program, they’re meshing with all the students,” said Kyle Barton, Behavior Intervention Specialist at RISE. “It gives them a sense of belonging.” 

Hernandez Espinosa agreed, emphasizing the biggest transformation he sees is in the students’ confidence. With each class, he has watched participants become more comfortable speaking up and engaging with others. Hearing students describe the program as something that gives them hope or has changed their lives, he said, is a powerful reminder that the experience is making a lasting difference.

“My favorite part is getting a bond with the coaches, being more active, and showing a new part of my life that I never knew I was able to change,” said RISE student David Lopez. 

But beyond boxing, Lopez said the program taught valuable life lessons. It helped him develop greater discipline, treat others with more respect, and build stronger relationships with his coaches, school leaders, and peers.

Those life lessons are exactly what Iriarte hopes students carry with them long after the program ends. His message to them is simple: their futures are not defined by their circumstances, but by the goals they choose to pursue.

“My one piece of advice for students is to dream big — dream big to the point of delusion where people think you’re absolutely insane,” Iriarte said. “That’s when you’ll start seeing those goals come to life.”