Orange County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean meets former heavyweight boxing champion James “Buster” Douglas and his wife, Bertha Douglas, during their visit to OCDE’s Otto Fischer School. 
Fischer School teacher Allen Cadatal meets former heavyweight boxing champions James “Buster” Douglas and Lamon Brewster. 
Fischer School teacher Lisa Mulkerin-Carey welcomes former heavyweight boxers James “Buster” Douglas and Lamon Brewster to speak with her students.
Quick look: Former heavyweight boxing champions James “Buster” Douglas and Lamon Brewster visited OCDE’s Otto A. Fischer School, encouraging students residing in Orange County Juvenile Hall to work hard and persevere to overcome any obstacle.
When two boxing champions stepped into the classrooms at the Orange County Department of Education’s Otto A. Fischer School, students didn’t just hear about sports. They heard stories about redemption, loss and believing in their own strength.
Former undisputed heavyweight champion James “Buster” Douglas, best known for his stunning upset over Mike Tyson, and Lamon Brewster, former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion, met with about two dozen students in the classrooms of teachers Lisa Mulkerin-Carey and Allen Cadatal at Fischer — one of four detention and treatment campuses operated by OCDE’s Alternative Education program.
The visit, held across two days earlier this month, was organized through speech and debate coach Sal Tinajero of Advantage Communications, which partners with OCDE to help Fischer students build confidence and communication skills. Tinajero, who once trained as an amateur boxer alongside Brewster, helped connect both champions to the program.
Among those in attendance were Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean and Chief of Staff Dennis Cole, who visited the campus to hear from the speakers and connect with students alongside Fischer Principal Dave Connor and Coordinator Dr. Nathan Goodly.
Both boxers used their personal journeys to show that you can get back up after being knocked down to win your match — a metaphor that resonated deeply with the students. Brewster even let students and staff hold his championship belt as a symbol of their perseverance, telling them, “You can now be the champion of your own life.”
Sharing messages of confidence and courage
For the students in attendance, that message hit home.
K, a 17-year-old student from Mr. Cadatal’s class, said they were moved by Douglas’ story of resilience following the death of his mother just before his historic fight against Tyson. “It helped me think that even though I’ve been knocked down in life, I can still rise above it all and make my dreams come true,” they said.
Another student, J, a 15-year-old in Mrs. Carey’s class, shared that Douglas’ words encouraged them to “put up a fight mentally with the challenges that come my way and make the best possible thing out of it, no matter what.”
Students at Otto Fischer School receive academic instruction from teachers from OCDE’s ACCESS program with support from the Orange County Probation Department. The program emphasizes individualized support, small class sizes, mental health services and personal growth opportunities designed to help youth succeed during and after their time in juvenile hall.
Through partnerships like Tinajero’s, students also develop focus and leadership skills that prepare them for life beyond their current circumstances.
Following the success of this visit, Fischer School administrators said they are already exploring future distinguished guests to speak with students next spring.
Editor’s note: To protect student privacy, only the initials of their first names are used.