Breaking stereotypes, building myself

VIEWPOINT FROM A TEXAS CHALLENGE ACADEMY CADET

Nobody has ever said life is easy, and a lot of decisions aren’t easy either. That’s exactly how I felt about attending Texas ChalleNGe Academy. When the idea had first been presented to me, I didn’t react to the best. As a matter of fact, I detested the idea. I wanted the familiarity of home. But at home the situation I was in wasn’t the best.

I went to two different high schools in Dallas. One was in a richer section of Dallas, outside my neighborhood. It was a great opportunity for an education, but students judged me on the neighborhood I came from. I was judged not on myself but on what people assumed people in my neighborhood were like. As time went on, it took a toll on me.