Belmont University’s Los Angeles program was forced to evacuate with ongoing wildfires in California.
Territories near Los Angeles, California, broke into flames the week of Jan. 5, affecting the areas of the Pacific Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst.
“We moved in on Saturday, Jan. 4, the fires started three days later, and we were kind of monitoring it in the palisades,” Belmont West student Bianca Cereceo said.
Belmont West, a Belmont USA study-away program in Los Angeles California, combines an academic course load for an undergraduate degree with students getting hands-on experience in their respective fields, working with companies such as Universal Media Studios, Sony Pictures, and Warner Brothers.
Although a wonderful opportunity, these students were placed in a new city and were met with a less-than-ideal scenario.
Their semester away from Nashville quickly came to a halt.
Wind began to pick up, which spread the fires across the city.
“The Hollywood Hills fire broke out 2 miles away from us. That’s when our parents texted us and said we need to leave now,” Cereceo said.
As students scrambled to make plans to evacuate, Belmont offered financial support and compensation for students to fly back to Belmont’s main campus as well as other cities to seek refuge.
“It was really terrifying and horrific to go through this,” Cereceo said.
Students relied on connections and one another for shelter and support.
“When it became clear that air quality conditions weren't improving and the fires remained a concern, the Belmont West team and Belmont leadership made the decision on Jan. 10 to temporarily suspend in-person programming,” Belmont West Coordinator Caleb Pierce said in a statement to the Vision.
It was announced Jan. 9 that the Belmont West program had been suspended.
The following day, Belmont’s Curb College released a statement on their social media pages:
“Thankfully, Belmont has successfully evacuated our Belmont West students, and we appreciate the tireless efforts of the Belmont staff over the past two days to make this possible. We will look to support the remainder of our community in any way possible in the days ahead.”
Belmont officials across departments from both Los Angeles and Nashville have reportedly communicated with one another to ensure a “smooth and safe transition back to Los Angeles," an email to Belmont West students stated.
While monitoring forecasts for wind and air quality and listening to experts on the ground, program coordinators became hopeful “that we will have the opportunity to continue the Belmont West experience in the relatively near term,” an email to Belmont West students stated.
On Jan. 17, it was announced the Belmont West program had been resumed.
“We are thrilled to share that we are moving forward with resuming in-person programming for Belmont West! Students will be permitted to start moving back as early as Sunday, January 19,” an update from Marissa Chandler, director of Belmont USA, Siobhan Harren, Belmont USA coordinator, and Pierce stated.
As soon as students arrive in Los Angeles, they are expected to return to classes as soon as possible and remain on the current academic schedule.
“We are working with internship partners to help establish flexible arrangements, including remote work options where necessary and available,” Pierce said.
In addition, housing contracts have been extended until mid-May to accommodate for lost time.
“We've developed comprehensive safety protocols including monitoring air quality, providing health and safety resources and maintaining contingency plans for any future emergencies," said Pierce. "We're committed to preserving the core Belmont West experience while adapting program elements like internships and excursions to ensure student safety and program quality."
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This Article was written by Emily Garver