Two students in Springs Charter Schools’ La Fuente 50/50 dual immersion Spanish/English program at Springs’ Vista Student Center received a surprise visit from their father, Cody Cowley, a First Class Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, on January 14, after nearly 10 months deployment onboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
Four San Diego news crews were on hand to capture the moment on film, click here and here to watch two of the stories. Cowley’s daughters include kindergartener and 1st grader Lilly and Lennon Cowley, who joined the La Fuente program at the beginning of the school year.
Cowley’s ship left April 1, 2019 from Norfolk, Virginia, and saw his deployment extended three times. The ship was deployed a total of 283 days, a week shy of the post-Vietnam War carrier record of 290 days. In a heartwarming event that included a color guard presentation by the Vista High School AF JROTC and the recitation of the pledge of allegiance by La Fuente students in English and Spanish, Cowley surprised his daughters at the end of the school day.
“It was a wonderful event, and let Cody know we were taking good care of his girls,” said Sarah Adams, principal of the Vista Student Center. Adding that she had once served in the military herself, “I know from firsthand experience how it is being separated from those you love. I’m glad the Vista Student Center could do something to help facilitate this reunion.”
Four San Diego news crews were on hand to capture the moment on film:
