.gif)
VIEWPOINT OF A TEXAS CHALLENGE ACADEMY CADET
Since being at Texas ChalleNGe Academy, I have noticed many changes between here and how it was back at home. I’m going to try to describe a few of them for you. I would also like to say if you know a teen that needs a second chance to get credits or to get his or her life back on track, TCA might be for them.
Before I came to TCA, I used to get up around 10 or 11 in the morning, but now I get up at 4:30 in the morning. I still remember when I was in acclamation and getting up that early. I didn’t think I could do it. It was way too early. But now, we have all pretty much adjusted to it.
After getting up, we do PT. When we first came here, everyone was quiet and focused. Now we are talking and playing around sometimes. Sometimes, this can backfire if we stop focusing. They can take away privileges, so we have to not get too loud and stay locked in.
As far as food goes, that is a whole different story. At home, I was used to just going to the refrigerator and grabbing what I wanted. Here at TCA, everyone in your platoon has chow at the same time. What’s crazy is sometimes if we are bad, our time gets swapped to later. So, we stay a little bit more hungry than normal.
At home at night, I would play music or play my Xbox, but there was still a little bit of peace because my parents didn’t care and let me do whatever I wanted. Here at TCA, we have to ask to use the bathroom, to brush our teeth, and even when we have to shave. At night, there is no talking, music or Xbox. Instead, we use that time to read our library books or to write letters at home.
TCA provides structure, and I know that this program is working for me. I love how this place is giving me hope to get a job. At home, I had lost some of that. TCA teaches us to get back on track quickly and teaches us how to study, work for everything we have, and just keep pushing through. TCA is not really that hard if we just stay quiet and positive. It is definitely not home but that’s okay.
