TCA through my eyes

I am a 17-year-old girl who is attending the Texas ChalleNGe Academy. I dropped out of high school my junior year and came here to better myself and continue my education.

School never worked out for me. I could never sit there for eight hours a day listening to somebody talk all day long. So, for me, the educational portion of TCA is really beneficial as I get to work at my own pace. The credits that I earn depend on the work that I put in.

One thing that has been difficult is being in a bay full of thirty girls. We all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences. Because we have to act as one platoon, we have to adjust how we do things, and it can be hard.

I have learned a lot about time management while I am here. Everything we do is very organized, and we have to be punctual about everything. I know that this will help me in the future.

The team leaders here are very caring. They are strict, but they want us to better ourselves and be better people once we leave. They often push us past our physical and mental limits. They are teaching us that we can accomplish our goals.

After I graduate from TCA, I want to enlist in the army and follow in my father’s footsteps. He was in the army for sixteen years. He joined when he was seventeen and told me that the military portion of TCA would benefit me when I go to the army. I hope to become a K9 Handler.

I am happy that I am at TCA. There are parts that are very challenging, but I enjoy being here and plan to finish and make it to graduation.