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I’m going to start off by saying that this program is not easy. It’s worth it, but it’s not easy. Honestly, I feel like it shouldn’t be easy because good things don’t come easily. That’s what makes you appreciate them more.
Being in a bay with 31 girls is not the best thing when you are a teenager. You have to deal with drama, fights, hormones, and attitudes. I don’t always get along with everyone, but at the end of the day, I came here to focus on myself and my goals.
Being here makes me appreciate the small things I had back at home. Here our resources are limited, and we have to work with what we have which isn’t much. For example, I never thought I would appreciate nail clippers as much as I do. I use them for their intended purpose, but they also serve as a mirror. The staff at Texas Challenge Academy noticed that mirrors were a big distraction for females, so just like that, they were removed. And that is hard because mirrors and females are best friends.
But not everything is bad, and I feel like I should move on to the good things TCA offers. For example, the academic opportunities are very good. There are very few distractions in school, so I can focus on academics and recover credits or get my GED. We get to work at our own pace and are responsible for our success or failure.
In life skills, they teach us how to apply for jobs and be successful once we leave the program. Our case managers really do help us a lot.
And last but not least, I am going to tell you about my overall experience here at TCA. I really like it and I came back for a reason. Yes, you read that right. This is my second time coming. The first time I came, I only stayed three weeks, and I regret that I gave up and left. But I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and I had to learn from my mistake.
We are now close to finishing the twenty-two-week challenge, and this time around I made it my mission to stay and work on myself, and that is what I have been doing. I have learned the importance of self-discipline and have grown as a person. One of the most important things I have learned here is that people come and go in our lives, and even if we don’t know it, they are here to teach us a lesson.
Anyway, that’s the end of some of my experiences as a repeat offender at TCA, which is what CS Moore likes to call me. I have met some great people here who have helped make this an unforgettable experience. Some of them are CS Vela, Ms. Cardenas, and Ms. Ambeau. They are real role models for us. I would also like to thank three women who are no longer here at TCA but were an important part of my journey. Those are Ms. Garcia, Ms. Frazier, and Ms. Thomas.
