Board honors Captain Travis Pay for longtime partnership with Public Safety Academy

The Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified Board of Education presented a "Make a Difference" award to Captain Travis Pay on the board's June agenda for his 18 years of service partnering with the Yucaipa High School Public Safety Academy.

Jennifer Griggs, a coach and English teacher who introduced the tribute, said Pay "has a remarkable ability to connect with young people," describing his work leading low‑angle rescue and disaster simulation trainings, bringing students to Station 552 and providing practical first‑aid and CPR instruction. "He truly rolled out the red carpet for them," Griggs said, thanking Pay for mentoring students and modeling public‑safety professionalism.

Speakers representing the academy and district recounted two scenes they said captured Pay's impact: calming an anxious special‑needs student during a Saturday exercise and arranging station visits that inspired students and family members. Multiple presenters highlighted Pay's long record of voluntary community programs, including annual toy drives and outreach that, they said, benefited families across the city.

Students and staff showed a slideshow of academy training scenarios — low‑angle rescues, CPR/AED practice and disaster‑day exercises — and credited Pay and Station 552 personnel with providing authentic, industry‑led feedback. Board members and administrators praised the partnership as integral to the academy's hands‑on curriculum and said the recognition aims to highlight career‑pathway experiences that keep students engaged.

The presentation closed with a formal certificate and photos. The board did not take any further formal action related to the recognition.

The board's next procedural step on campus programs is the scheduled adoption of the district Local Control and Accountability Plan later in June.