.jpg)
VIEWPOINT OF A TEXAS CHALLENGE ACADEMY CADET
I attend Texas Challenge Academy in Eagle Lake, Texas. I know that many people think that TCA is a place to send “bad kids,” but like Ms. Vela says, “It’s for kids who are misunderstood.”
I am in Echo Platoon and am one out of thirty girls who live in a bay together. While that may seem like a lot of people to live with, in the month that I have been here, this is the safest I have ever felt. This is where I finally feel like I have a voice, and I am heard.
Before I came to TCA, I always felt like I didn’t have a choice, and I wasn’t noticed. I would walk out of class, talk back to teachers, and even disrespect my peers. While some people may see that I was being bad, it was actually a way for me to be seen by the people who pushed me away.
While at home, I felt like I was walking on eggshells, feeling like they would crack if I took one wrong step.
So now I am here at TCA. It is known for its discipline and structure, and that is true. But here they listen and acknowledge our voices. Being here lets me know I don’t always have to look behind me, I can look in front of me.
I am here at TCA trying to get better. I have a story to tell and while some people keep the same one, I am rewriting mine.
