{"id":95233,"date":"2025-07-26T23:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T23:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/95233\/"},"modified":"2025-07-26T23:00:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-26T23:00:09","slug":"monarch-school-students-tell-comic-con-panel-how-esports-inspire-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/95233\/","title":{"rendered":"Monarch School students tell Comic-Con panel how Esports inspire them"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>The streets around Comic-Con at night. (Photo by Adrian Childress\/Times of San Diego)<\/p>\n

In his early days at the Monarch School<\/a> in San Diego, Juan Rivera would wear a hoodie, walk around with headphones and pretty much keep to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a loose cannon,\u201d he recalled. \u201cMad or quiet. Too annoying.\u201d<\/p>\n

That changed after he joined the school\u2019s video game team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Esports, I could be myself,\u201d he said. \u201cIt changed my life a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rivera is one of the success stories of an effort by educators to use the passion students have for video games to teach them life skills. That\u2019s especially important for students at Monarch School which, in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, teaches homeless youth.<\/p>\n

Students, and their coach Chris Garcia, an educational technology coordinator for the county office, explored the power of Esports in a presentation<\/a> Friday at Comic-Con<\/a>, a place that celebrates video games.<\/p>\n

\n

This is the week! Excited for @Comic_Con<\/a> and the panel from our @SanDiegoMonarch<\/a> #EsportsEDU<\/a> Ss. Come check it out for free! Here’s all the information: https:\/\/t.co\/XcSms4IijU<\/a> @SanDiegoCOE<\/a> @SD_Comic_Con<\/a> @OutsideComicCon<\/a> #SDCC2025<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/P6nblRPLpc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Garcia (@GarciaEdTechSD) July 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The school has 300 students, and it is the only comprehensive K-12 school in the nation developed specifically to serve unhoused students and their families.<\/p>\n

Monarch has been using video gaming competitions since 2018 to give students skills and experiences they can use in their lives.<\/p>\n

It taught Juan discipline and leadership, he said. For teammate Leo King, it helped him manage his emotions and cope with stress. But it wasn\u2019t just the skills he learned. It taught him how to work with others.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are like my second family,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople I really depend on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jessica Gonzalez said Esports helped her manage stress, whether it\u2019s dealing with a big test or her personal life.<\/p>\n

Garcia calls Gonzalez the team\u2019s assistant coach and credits her for encouraging fellow team members to overcome whatever challenges come up in their lives.<\/p>\n

Gonzalez said the Esports is an island they can escape to, and a place to build memories.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a place to disappear to and a time to take a breather,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The team bond was on full display Friday as the students wore team jackets with a logo of a butterfly shaped like a video game controller.<\/p>\n

Team members are looking forward to the future, which includes plans for college but also more video game competitions.<\/p>\n

Said King: \u201cIt\u2019s definitely helped me grow as a person the last two years.\u201d<\/p>\n