Day to day at TCA

My name is Chad Robertson. Currently I’m a Texas ChalleNGe Academy cadet, and I would like to share my perspective of TCA with the outside. TCA isn’t what people think. The kids here aren’t “bad” and certainly aren’t “criminals” as some have portrayed.

TCA isn’t exactly what they show in the recruiting pictures. It doesn’t fly by, and we don’t “get” rewards. We earn everything here. Heck everything here is a privilege. Even napkins are a privilege!

It isn’t great by any means. However, it’s not in the negative way you’d think. We all miss home a lot, we get lonely, and we may get down. But the TL’s (Team Leaders) here have done wonders to help us through it all.

The big point of this place is for it to be tough, but eventually it actually becomes really fun. TCA is designed for us to be challenged, so we can’t get mad when we’re put to the test. Some good advice I was given is it’s OK to be uncomfortable. This is what causes change. Here at TCA it’s not about being the best; it’s about making yourself better than how you were.

Some more input from me. TCA is not a military school contrary to popular belief, but it’s a militarized school. The difference is that this place has people that are retired from active duty, still in active duty, and even people who haven’t been in the armed forces at all. TCA has staff and teachers from all walks of lives who are trying to make a difference for us.

I enjoy it here at TCA, and if you’re serious about coming here as well, you may enjoy it just as much as I have. Thank you to my family and the staff at TCA for what they have done for me and the other cadets here at the academy.