From the baseball diamond to the Sheriff's Academy, Kamran Young has built his life around resilience, leadership and service. Now a tactical officer with the Orange County Sheriff's Department's Regional Training Academy and a proud alumnus of Santa Ana College (SAC), he is preparing the next generation of peace officers.
Young grew up in Los Angeles and carried his love of sports into college, where he played baseball at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He earned All-American honors while completing a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Administration with honors and later fulfilled his dream of playing professionally with the Minnesota Twins organization. When his time in athletics ended, he turned his focus to law enforcement.
That path began in 2017 when he entered the Orange County Sheriff's Regional Training Academy at SAC. After graduating, he served in custody before moving to patrol in Stanton. Those assignments built his skills and revealed a passion for mentorship that would guide the rest of his career. During this time, Young also completed a master's degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego.
Kamran Young (center) with Dr. Annebelle Nery (left) and Board President Daisy Tong (right)
In 2025, Young returned to the Academy as a member of tactical staff. He wanted to return to SAC, the place where his own journey began, and help prepare the next generation of peace officers. “As a recruit I never forgot my tactical staff and the positive influence they had on me," Young said. “Now I want to continue that tradition and help others be the best people and peace officers they can be."
His commitment to giving back is rooted in his own experience as a recruit, when he faced one of the hardest times of his life. While completing academy training, his daughter was undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia, making it an especially difficult period. Today she is 11 and healthy, and the family has since welcomed two more children. In his first class as a tactical officer, Young mentored a recruit facing the same challenge. “I immediately knew I was here for a great purpose," Young said.
Young is now hitting a home run in the game of life. “My family, my work partners, and my recruits mean the world to me," Young said. “I want to continue passing on the tradition of excellence at the Orange County Regional Training Academy."
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