When people think of the government teacher Ruben Pizarro, they think of The Dream Academy. But after being in charge of it for the past 12 years, Pizarro decided it was time for a change. “I felt that God was calling me to use my time, my talent and my treasure for him,” Pizarro said. The Dream Academy had certain limitations and rules, which didn’t allow him to freely speak about God and his faith to its members. 

In addition to the Dream Academy, which was not a school based club, Pizarro had started Crossroad Connections two years ago, as a way to give students a space to talk about their faith. “I feel that young people actually want things that are real, things that are genuine,” he said. Pizarro feels that it is important for students to know that in the Ignite Faith Academy there will always be someone to talk to about Christ.

This year, Pizarro rebranded Crossroad Connections into Ignite Academy. He decided to rebrand it because he wanted to be true to himself and inspire people, especially young people. “The difference between Crossroad Connections and Ignite Faith Academy now is just the name change,” Pizarro said.  “Every time there’s different student leaders it’s a little different depending on the kind of the faith and the understanding of God and Jesus that every student has.” 

The club meets on most Thursdays and a typical meeting involves pizza, popcorn, and prayer at the beginning and end of the meeting. “We had a meeting last Thursday 11/6/25, probably the fullest thing that we ever had,” Pizarro said. 

According to Pizarro, their meetings mostly involve discussions about God, his words, and their shared faith. “And when we begin, it’s just God’s words filling in the room. It’s full of love,” freshman Camila Mendoza said. 

Students can find a connection within the Ignite Faith Academy, even if they’re just starting their journey. “When I first joined, it was last year. I joined this academy because I had a friend who was in this academy before she graduated,” Jordana Uc said, “and she told me ‘You should join this academy, [it] is about faith. ’I was growing in my faith, and I was like you know what I want to learn more about this club.”.

Because the club has grown, Pizarro asked fellow Government/Econ teacher Jenness Kelly to be a co-advisor. She wanted female students to feel comfortable talking with a female counterpart, in case a female student had a question and didn’t feel comfortable going to a male. Kelly also wants students to see her not just like a teacher but also as a safe person to come and talk about anything spiritual or their faith to her. “They could come and talk to me about anything and express their faith to me, plus I’m a Christian, I go to church and I like being involved in campus.”

Some students might think the meetings are just a simple gathering to talk about Jesus Christ, but it is much more than that. “It opens your heart to have a better relationship with Christ, but on top of that I also get to bring people into his light,” Victor Lefler said. “I get to bring people into his love.” The club can also bring together the Alisal community. “The club offers a community for those seeking it, we’re all a family,” he said.

The group has plans for the future, like traveling outside the country to places like Egypt or Israel. Another plan they have is to continue to reach more students across campus and do survival projects such as canned food drives or going to feed the homeless at Dorothy’s kitchen. “We plan to send the students who are part of the club and listen and grow in their faith, we want to send them out into campus and outside of campus to share their faith with other people and bring them closer to God,” Pizarro said