Cheryl Alcock (formerly Cheryl Zak) is a top notch professional in her field. Make no mistake, when I say her field I am speaking of the artistic field of the confidence game (scamming). Her psychological manipulation techniques make boot camp's behavior modification look like a walk in the park. I feel it would be negligent on my part as a former student to just sit here and let this type of atrocity continue on any longer. The only reason others haven't come forward is because they are probably afraid of cheryl and/or don't want to deal with her one minute more than they already had to. This is the reason for the fake name as my identity needs to remain anonymous for fear of Cheryl's immature yet fierce wrath. Sea change academy is, as was so well put by the director a "...New more fitting location for a school with a changed focus and different student population." This new location is due to the fact that her school is not allowed in San Diego county. You may ask then why del mar has allowed this little gold mining operation. This could be in part due to the symbiotic business relationship with certain pediatric specialists who work in that area. She is targeting the wealthy under the guise of being a high end exclusive prepatory. Her wasc is possibly due to the little known fact that Cheryl herself was on the wasc accreditation board for some time and may still even be on it. Also she has zero teaching credentials and I frankly don't understand how a social worker is qualified to oversee a "top notch prepatory academy." In fact the whole time I was enrolled (a year and a half) I saw 1 person actually graduate. Everyone else was either kicked out or left because Cheryl's immorality became evident. Make no mistake, she's a criminal. It's not a sign of success to change your name and location twice. First it was RESCU academy in santee. Then Arch academy in kearny Mesa. Now sea change prep in del mar. This is a fundamental indication of criminal activity. The reason I left was because of a breach of confidentiality. No one else that I knew there graduated. Please please please stop this before it gets too big. Cheryl is extremely skilled in the way of manipulation. In fact I've never met someone better at it. It will take a minimum of a year to figure out she's blowing smoke but by then she already got your money. This is a warning to all looking at this place as an option for your children's education. They're education system is designed to keep your kid just far enough behind everyone else in their grade that it would be very difficult to transfer out. Also, in the la Jolla light, she advertises that she has 15 years of accreditation. I could he wrong but didn't this place just open about a year ago? It seems like she is actually talking about the accreditation of her past schools. I will be reporting this as false advertising. Which I'm pretty sure isn't legal and at the very least is frowned upon. Anyone with influence in the del mar area please look into what I'm saying. read more

Wow I'm really glad Cheryl revived a zombie that should've been shot in the head a long time ago (pun intended)... I find it fucking golden that you idiots kept up the videos from Arch Academy, or probably what's known as taboo in your cancerous environment. Don't send your child here if you know what's good for you. Cheryl has severe bipolar disorder (and so does her son Cooper) and has a history of abusing students in this cult like environment. Fucking trust me, I have a first hand experience. Some of you might've heard of the horrendous legacy of arch academy, the hell hole that was thankfully taken down by the San Diego school district. All those awards and trophy's and news articles....ain't from no fucking Sea Change. They're from Arch. Cheryl has a history of mentally and physically abusing her students. In the brief 8 months I was there (before I was kicked because she didn't want us anymore) 4 kids were unjustly ejected from the school. 2 teachers were fired because they didn't suit Cheryl's standards for her cult, and I saw her and the other students impact many injuries on other students. There was a 9 year old student attending while I was there...she was mentally tormented by Cheryl EVERY DAY, and Cheryl ENCOURAGED the other students to do the same. Towards her last days there, the 9 year olds personal property was viciously destroyed by Cheryl because she wouldn't stop crying. Cheryl has forced students To swim before, holding them down for long periods of time in the water, and having larger students pull them through the water while they're screaming they're asses off. But no, it's a "mindful environment." Id personally like to add that I'm traumatized from some of the things I witnessed there. After I left, I was in contact with Faith Irvine. 1 month later when I attempted to contact her, she told me never to contact her again. It's a cult, I swear to you. Anything with Cheryl Allcock's name on it...RUN. She's a mooching snake of a woman, and will LITERALLY destroy your life. The only thing this putrid bitch cares about is money and status. read more

Sea Change Prep changed my son's life and by doing so the lives of my entire family. An extremely intelligent child, A began having trouble in school in third grade, particularly around homework and focusing in class. We switched from the traditional private school we were attending to our local public school, where the reduced workload seemed to help. In fifth grade, at perhaps the best traditional public school in North County, we began to have multiple issues...bullying, disruptions in class, special accommodations to make it through the day, etc. Things were tough at home, homework was out of the question, and the daily fights around electronics usage and management cast a pall over nearly everything. Enter Cheryl and Sea Change Prep and fast forward one year. A loves school, is excelling in all of his classes, has been completely off electronic devices and the resulting highs and lows associated with gaming and online social interaction, and recently set a world record in Open Ocean Relay Swimming with his teammates. All of his relatives are amazed at the transformation, and rather than arguing and sulking about school every morning he is up, getting himself ready, and out the door. "I wish we could have school on weekends" he said the other day. I believe Sea Change Prep changed the entire trajectory of his middle school life. I would highly recommend Sea Change Prep to any parent / student that is highly capable but for whatever reason is not thriving in his or her current environment. The individualized learning program, mindfulness, and ocean swimming programs have enabled A to be the kid we always knew he could be but was trapped in a cycle of underperformance and the associated low self esteem that can come with it. Life changing!" read more

In 2010, I was exhausted from being in and out of mental institutions and programs, had been told that I wouldn't graduate high school, and was held immobile in my illness by both the medical system and my own fear. Cheryl Allcock of Sea Change Preparatory changed everything. I wasn't an easy person to change, by any means- for a year and a half I lied to her face, used neurological disease as an excuse to get out of participating in anything, cried on the floor in fetal position to get attention, stole pills, and so on. But she stuck with me. She never gave up, and it is the most valuable thing that anyone has ever given me. Because of Cheryl, I found myself achieving things I never thought possible. Once confined to the house, I was now swimming at a public pool three times a week. Once afraid of talking to people, I became a peer mentor and learned to reach outside of myself. I worked on the WASC report for the school, became a music director, planned a global trip (travelled to 12 different countries!), gave hour-long presentations, wrote research papers that impressed entomology professors at UC Davis, Riverside, and Berkeley, and swam Alcatraz, Coronado, Catalina, and the English Channel. But best of all, I became comfortable with who I am. Today, I am in my third year of studying entomology and illustration at College of The Atlantic, a school that, much like Sea Change, is a close-knit community that inspires students to become productive members of a global society. I am so happy that Cheryl is continuing to reach people and help them accomplish amazing things. I love every one of you at Sea Change. KEEP SWIMMING!! :) read more

I heard about this school hoping it wasn't true.. But apparently Cheryl Zac (the director) has started up yet another pseudo-prestigious little "academy"when her last one got shut down in SD (Del Mar is in a different school district, disturbing that she's still even allowed to work in education at all. Judging by the reviews here it seems like quite a few people have fallen prey to her phony kindness. I won't even get started on how many horror stories I've heard about her "teaching" methods in the past. She seems to enjoy being creative with cruel and unusual forms of punishment which is quite sickening to say the least. Read the reviews on here from people who've known her for years. Or the reviews from Arch Academy. If you care about your child, PLEASE DO NOT SEND THEM HERE. read more

Cheryl, the director of Sea Change Preparatory, had a social worker license which expired in 2012, and no other credentials that would qualify her to be any type of educator. Her unethical methods of teaching and corrupt business practice have tainted her reputation, prompting her to change the name and location of her "school" twice since (the first two were ultimately shut down by the cities of Santee and San Diego). It is my understanding that she is currently banned from the school districts in both cities. I do not like to speak so poorly of people, but as a firsthand witness of her behavior over a period of several years, I feel it is my responsibility to warn others, specifically parents who are easily decieved by her initially charismatic facade. read more