.gif)
I am a part of the Delta Demons Platoon at Texas ChalleNGe Academy and am seventeen years old. I was having problems with school and with family back home, which in reality were caused by my own actions. I know now the path I was walking was a dark one, and I wished I had realized it sooner.
I found this program through my cousin, and I saw it as a way to get my life back together and change the way I was living. I am fourteen weeks in, and I have already seen the effects of the program within myself. I used to be so negative about life, and I could never see any good in anyone, but this place has shown me that I’m not that person and I’m not alone.
I have found myself thinking better about myself, and I finally feel like things can and will change for the better. I also have been getting to write a lot. One of the first things I wrote to myself was on Aug. 1 2023. It said, “Life is hard but you can manage it. TCA is stressful, but dear future me, just remember that this is life, and you can get through it as long as you keep your head held high and keep pushing forward.”
And that is what I’m doing. I’m pushing forward. I most likely wouldn’t have made it this far if it weren’t for my father sending me quotes and his love through the letters he writes. One quote he sent me was from Teddy Roosevelt. It says, “If you think you can, you’re halfway there.” That was one of the first ones he sent, and it has helped me along this journey.
I’ve always looked up to my dad, and I try to be like him. I would like to thank him for building me up and never giving up on me. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without him. I would also like to thank TCA. It has really given me a second chance at life. The staff is always there for all of the cadets, and they have personally helped me on this journey. I know that I will finish strong and that my future will be good.
