Extremely LONG but way overdue review.
Let me start with…read morethis: if you are a Black woman or any student who expects to be treated with basic respect, stay far away from CAL ACE. This school is a disgrace and should be shut down.
The five-star reviews you see? Many of them are pressured out of students while they're still in class, face to face with staff. I personally witnessed this. Several of my classmates told me privately that they had negative experiences too--but were too scared to speak out publicly because of retaliation or fear they wouldn't pass. This review isn't just mine--it reflects what many of us went through and whispered about behind closed doors.
I attended in July/August 2024, and from the moment I walked in, I had doubts. The school is inside a shopping plaza with a fish market, and the environment is beyond unsanitary. Bathrooms were filthy--cockroaches, dried feces on the floor and toilet, overflowing trash DAILY. The classroom was crowded, disorganized, and the curriculum had tons of spelling and grammar errors. Yet they charge nearly $2,000 per student. It's a money grab, plain and simple.
But what really broke me was the way I was treated by the staff.
Marilyn, one of the owners, was cold, dismissive, and clearly had a chip on her shoulder. She refused to answer my questions, lied about not having a printer when I needed to reprint a background check form, and acted like I was a burden anytime I needed basic help. I still tried to push through because I was on a strict deadline to start nursing school.
Then came the incident that pushed me to the edge.
We were asked to review our attendance, and I noticed multiple errors. I went in person to clarify. Instead of asking me a single question, Marilyn immediately accused me of leaving clinicals early. I was stunned. I showed timestamped proof from my Clipper card showing my exact travel times, and she still repeated the accusation over and over. Then she brought in Dino, the instructor, who flat-out lied and said I had left early. They ganged up on me.
A random woman in the office also inserted herself into the conversation because my voice was raised--which, yes, it was, because I was being falsely accused of something that could cost me my nursing future 10 plus times (not an exaggeration). I was shaking. I had done nothing wrong.
I found my signed attendance sheet from the day in question after 30 minutes of digging. It proved I was present. Did I get an apology? No. Marilyn tried to claim it was a different day. I shut that down too. It was disgusting and clearly racial. The tone, the disbelief, the ganging up--it wasn't just a mistake, it was a targeted attack on my character.
Cliff, the owner, came in "to help" but was immediately accusatory, but eventually just agreed. He updated my hours online, but the emotional harm was already done.
A few days later, I was called into the office again. I assumed they were finally going to apologize. Instead, they told me they were "concerned about me becoming a nurse." The audacity. The falsely accused me of something with zero evidence.
Marilyn didn't even know what the word "accusing" meant. I wish I was joking. I had to explain it to her. She eventually gave me an apology, but it was insincere and too late. That moment stuck with me--being made to feel like I did something wrong for simply defending myself.
On top of that, Cliff frequently made inappropriate comments during class. One student--who was only 17--said her mom (a former student) warned her to stay away from him. He made us all uncomfortable. During our CNA test review, I couldn't remember one of the skills, and in front of the whole class, he told me my response was "pathetic." Not only was it unprofessional and humiliating, but again, I was balancing multiple jobs and college courses while still showing up and doing the work. He later apologized when the room cleared, but it was clear who he respected and who he didn't.
The only decent instructor in the entire program was a kind black man whose name I sadly forgot. He was respectful and actually listened.
BOTTOM LINE:
CAL ACE does not care about your education, your dignity, or your future. They care about your tuition and keeping their shady operation running. If you have another option--take it. This place needs to be investigated, restructured, or shut down. No one should have to experience what I did just to become a CNA.
Update: CAL ACE has since responded--but instead of taking accountability, they doubled down and claimed I succeeded "with their support." Let me be clear: I succeeded in spite of this school, not because of it. They falsely accused me, publicly humiliated me, and failed to take responsibility even after I proved I was telling the truth. They are being reported currently. I've also added some screenshots of what students really think about the school.
