The three-day entrance camp at Porterville Military Academy is designed to prepare incoming cadets for the school year by introducing them to uniform standards, cadet knowledge, drill and ceremony, classroom etiquette, and foundational leadership skills explained PMA Master Sargent Stephanie Villa in charge of operations. “What makes entrance camp unique is that it is primarily led by cadets, offering a peer-driven experience,” she said. “This provides PMA staff the opportunity to begin building rapport with the new cadets. Overall, the program plays a key role in successfully integrating new students into the academy.”
Cadet Jehily Landeros, who was taking pictures during entrance camp and helping new cadets, said it's a friendly and respectful environment at PMA and she had talked to multiple new cadets and they loved it, and the opportunities the school offers.
Senior Cadet Jonathan Witherspoon said the senior cadets were helping the new cadets and telling them about some of their experiences, “Engaging them on a more personal level and telling them about things I wish I’d known at the beginning when I began entrance camp at PMA in eighth grade. We help them learn the basics of cadet camp, but also have fun and be safe.” At the cadet camp they were learning how to use an obstacle course, a physical fitness class, learn how to build a tent, as well as spend a night at the school. Cadets also took a class and learned how to use a computer, log-in, as well a learn how to type, amongst other classes.
Cadet Sargent Rigoberto Villa, who's in Officer training, said he worked to coordinate the schedule for the Entrance Camp logistics, safety, and making sure all the new cadets were taught what they needed to know.
During the 2025 PMA Entrance Camp there were 45 Cadet staff, 17 Officer Cadets, and 75 new recruit cadets who were learning from the staff and officer cadets who were running the entrance camp.
Cadet Levi Groves, a junior, who’s been at PMA for three years, is an Officer Cadet, and was running the obstacle course during the camp. He said PMA has great opportunities, and the entrance camp makes him happy, “Because we are showing the most recent cadets that they are not alone. We are all family, and we will always be together.”
Some of the classes offered at PMA are aviation, including drones, A-G aligned curriculum, college and career opportunities, Pathway programs, community service, Athletics, CACC Event Extracurricular, Bivouacs, Obstacle Course, and leadership, discipline, and responsibility training.
Inside a PMA classroom students were learning how to use PC’s. They were learning how to use a mouse, how to log-on to Google Workplace, how to create a personal email account and a password to use at school. Some of the students had never used a computer before, and some were already proficient.
In the multipurpose room before lunch new cadets were talking to cadet staff and telling them about what they’d learned during the past two days at the camp.
New cadet Iianna Solis,12, said the camp was, “Really fun,” and Abigail Martinez, 13, said they taught you about respect.
Bailey Hernandez, said they’d learned a bunch of new things from the California Cadet Handbook, liking marching, putting together a tent, and wearing uniforms. Lisa Leon, 12, said she liked the opportunities offered at PMA, “especially the flight class, that was really interesting.”
PMA Sargent Kong Ming Phanonvong said, “I love when entrance comes around because I get to see new faces who want to grow more as leaders. I help the new and upcoming cadets by making them feel welcome, as some of them are away from home and their parents, and it can be a scary experience.”