.gif)
VIEWPOINT OF A TEXAS CHALLENGE ACADEMY CADET
This is how it began. Before coming to Texas ChalleNGe Academy, I was a lost girl, just letting all of my dreams slip by. At one time I was a good child, respectful and a rule follower. I knew right from wrong. But that all changed. When I was a freshman in high school, I started hanging out with the wrong crowd. I did not know at the time what I was getting myself into, but to be honest, I was just trying to fit in. I felt like a fat girl who was always lonely.
I got judged for my looks, and even my mom would make me exercise starting at the age of seven so I could look better. I remember just wanting to be a normal kid, not being forced to do things because of my looks. I was bullied all the way to my freshmen year, and when I started ninth grade, I just did not want to be lonely anymore.
I started smoking with new “friends,” and I lowkey liked it. I liked how it made me feel and would smoke constantly and skip school. There was one time when they decided to steal drinks from a market store so they could get cross faded, and I will be honest, I wanted to know how it felt.
I did not want to show them I was scared or lame, so I started to get crossfaded and do dumb things. I forgot about school and all my dreams. When the school called my mom to tell her I was skipping, I would lie and tell her the teachers did not do attendance right. And she believed me because she thought I would not lie to her. Once I did not get my credits, she knew something was up.
Then I just started to smoke and drink by myself, without the group. In my sophomore year, I stared doing stronger drugs just to not feel anything. I disrespected my mother, and my addiction continued to grow.
I overdosed three times; once on my birthday and the last being in November 2023. After that last time, I tried to fight back; I was tired of the tiredness and mistakes. I saw old pictures of myself and did not recognize the girl I saw. I prayed to God to help me get my life together and He did. He led me to TCA.
I knew coming here would help me stay away from drugs, but it has also helped me realize reality again. I am now 18, getting my life back and finding myself again. This program makes me want to do better and lets me know I have a future.
TCA is tough but in a good way. TCA has helped me get back my credits, kept me grounded in reality, and kept me pushing forward every day and night. I have to say that all the TLs and Ms. Vela and my mom are my heroes.
I am so glad that God never left me and has helped me get through the tough times. He and TCA have given me a new fresh start in life.
