The Integrity Path had the privilege of speaking to two very different groups of students during our visit to the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base. We first joined fifth and sixth graders who participated in the DOD STARBASE STEM program, where students spent a week immersed in science, technology, engineering, and math. While STARBASE provides exciting hands-on learning, our role was to share the Six Core Values of the Medal of Honor, helping these young students see how values and integrity can guide their choices alongside their curiosity for learning.

Later that day, we met with the high school students of the Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy—a residential, voluntary program designed for teens who have struggled in school or faced challenges with the law but have chosen to redirect their lives. Medal of Honor recipient Gary Littrell spoke candidly about his own troubled path, and the response from the cadets was powerful. Many reached out with heartfelt questions, eager to learn how he navigated hardship and found strength to keep moving forward. For these students, the conversation was more than just a talk—it was a pivotal moment, a chance to see a path through adversity and toward a future built on courage, resilience, and character.