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VIEWPOINT OF A TEXAS CHALLENGE ACADEMY CADET
My early childhood was what I would call the bad beginning. My parents were constantly in and out of jail. Most of my family was addicted to drugs, and my grandfather (who was my only father figure at the time) died of cancer. I experienced a lot of neglect and emotional trauma at the hands of my family, but everything changed when I moved to Texas to live with my aunt.
Once in Bandera, I lived with family members who were so addicted to drugs that they couldn’t remember to take me to school. After missing school for a week, the school scheduled a wellness check, and I was picked up by child protective services with my sisters. My sisters and I were placed into foster care for about two years before we were adopted by the Seastrunk family, with whom we have lived for the past seven years.
I love my family, and they have always supported me, but in the last year, I needed something more. That’s why I chose Texas Challenge Academy. I felt that they had that something I was looking for and it turns out they do. Don’t get me wrong; this place is difficult and hard to adapt to, with its long days and demanding staff, but it’s the structure and atmosphere that make TCA.
It is here that I have learned to be a more positive person. Here I’ve learned to tolerate but not always accept as right, and here I’ve learned to be a leader who can break a cycle of followership. To the staff of TCA, I am forever grateful for your dedication and mentorship. I can’t wait to continue this journey of my new life here at TCA. “Veni, Vedi, Vidi.” (I came, I saw, I conquered).
