By Khalida Sarwari
Three years ago, 18-year-old Matthew Schulz left the comfort of his home in Campbell to begin anew in San Diego County. There, he found himself homesick and the customs of his new private military boarding school unfamiliar. And yet, it was exactly what he needed.
After unsuccessful freshman and sophomore years at Westmont High School, the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad offered Schulz a chance to start over.
“I wasn’t motivated at all,” he said. “I was very lazy and unrealistic–just kind of floated through school. I thought I needed more structure.”
When his parents found the academy and suggested they take a family trip to visit the school, Schulz, who had an interest in joining the military, was all for it. He liked what he saw right away.
Beyond the school’s mellow beachfront location, it appeared that every part of the students’ day was regimented, Schulz said, from the moment that they woke up in the morning to their bedtime. He found the schedule “rigorous” but one that kept students focused on athletics and academics.
The first few months were the toughest, said Schulz.
“I was definitely homesick for the first few months,” he said. “It was hard to adjust at first because it was so different.”
Several factors contributed to the sense of “culture shock” he felt: The Army and Navy Academy was smaller than the schools he was used to, the student body was all boys and he was required to live on campus.
Once the culture shock wore off, however, Schulz said the experience was great. He learned how to be responsible for himself, how to manage his time and how to be self-motivated.
He joined the swimming, water polo and drill teams. The three years he invested in the academy paid off.
On June 9, he was one of 58 cadets to walk the stage and receive his diploma.
“I don’t think I would have graduated high school if I had continued at Westmont,” he said. “I wouldn’t have had a bright future.”
Schulz is planning for that future now. He is starting college in the fall at the University of Puget Sound in Washington, where he plans to major in international political economy. After college, Schulz has his sights set on Europe. There, he wants to put his degree to use in the field of economics.
Someday, Schulz said he would like to return to Carlsbad and join the Army and Navy Academy’s board of trustees and “give back what people gave me.”
“I don’t think it’s for everyone,” he said, “but I think there are people that could benefit a lot from it.”
