In his early days at the Monarch School in San Diego, Juan Rivera would wear a hoodie, walk around with headphones and pretty much keep to himself.
“I was a loose cannon,” he recalled. “Mad or quiet. Too annoying.”
That changed after he joined the school’s video game team.
“With Esports, I could be myself,” he said. “It changed my life a lot.”
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’s especially important for students at Monarch School which, in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, teaches homeless youth.
Students, and their coach Chris Garcia, an educational technology coordinator for the county office, explored the power of Esports in a presentation Friday at Comic-Con, a place that celebrates video games.
This is the week! Excited for @Comic_Con and the panel from our @SanDiegoMonarch #EsportsEDU Ss. Come check it out for free! Here’s all the information: https://t.co/XcSms4IijU @SanDiegoCOE @SD_Comic_Con @OutsideComicCon #SDCC2025 pic.twitter.com/P6nblRPLpc
— Chris Garcia (@GarciaEdTechSD) July 22, 2025
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.
Monarch has been using video gaming competitions since 2018 to give students skills and experiences they can use in their lives.
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’t just the skills he learned. It taught him how to work with others.
“These are like my second family,” he said. “People I really depend on.”
Jessica Gonzalez said Esports helped her manage stress, whether it’s dealing with a big test or her personal life.
Garcia calls Gonzalez the team’s assistant coach and credits her for encouraging fellow team members to overcome whatever challenges come up in their lives.
Gonzalez said the Esports is an island they can escape to, and a place to build memories.
“It’s a place to disappear to and a time to take a breather,” she said.
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.
Team members are looking forward to the future, which includes plans for college but also more video game competitions.
Said King: “It’s definitely helped me grow as a person the last two years.”
