After the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena, leaving devastation in its wake, one school is refusing to let tragedy stop its students from learning. Pasadena Rosebud Academy Charter School, founded by Shawn Brown in 2007, was completely destroyed in the wildfire. But despite losing both her school and home, Brown and her team quickly found innovative ways to keep students engaged.
A School and a Community Uplifted by Education
Shawn Brown, the executive director of Rosebud Academy, founded the school to give back to her childhood community, providing students with critical thinking skills, financial literacy, and life experiences.
When she received the devastating news that both her home and school had burned down, she barely had time to grieve.
“I haven’t had any moment to think about anything,” Brown said. “I had to go from hearing that the house and the school burned down to figuring out, ‘What am I gonna do with these kids next?'”
Determined to keep education alive, she and her team acted immediately, planning a series of field trips to ensure students stayed engaged.
Field Trips: Learning Beyond the Classroom
One of Rosebud Academy’s core values is exposure and experience, helping students dream big by introducing them to new places and opportunities.
“The first week after all of this, we scheduled field trips,” Brown shared. “We know that travel is a huge part of thinking bigger and dreaming bigger.”
Among the places they visited was the California Science Center, giving students a chance to learn in an exciting new environment.
But field trips were just a temporary fix—the students still needed classrooms.
A New Temporary Home at The Beehive
After an exhausting search, Brown and her team found a short-term solution. Students would now meet up each day and be bused to The Beehive in South Los Angeles, a high-tech learning space focused on Black and Brown students and careers in technology.
The Beehive staff worked tirelessly over the weekend to convert their studios into functional classrooms, purchasing desks, chairs, and supplies for the youngest students.
“They really bring kids in to help them learn more about the tech field and encourage them that they can get in those fields as well,” Brown said.
When students arrived at their new temporary school, they were excited and ready to learn.
Families Coping with the Aftermath of the Fire
Many students at Rosebud Academy lost more than just their school—some lost their homes too.
Amber Trejo, whose 5-year-old daughter, Caira, is a kindergartener at the school, is among those affected. Trejo’s childhood home, where she lived with her grandmother, parents, brother, and children, burned down in the fire.
“We had everything in that home. My whole childhood was in that home,” Trejo said. “But we will rebuild, and we’ll make it stronger.”
Despite the heartbreak, she is grateful that her daughter still has a school community to rely on.
“It makes me happy. It makes me happy for her.”
Shawn Brown’s Vision for the Future
Brown is also dealing with the loss of her mother’s home, which had been in their family for over 50 years. Despite this, she remains focused on the future—not just for her family, but for her students.
“We would really need funding to rebuild, and that has been the ultimate goal for the school even when I started it,” Brown said. “The long-term goal is to build something amazing for our students.”
With resilience and community support, Brown is determined to bring Rosebud Academy back—stronger than ever.
