ChalleNGe Grad Makes Right Choice

Source: Battle Born, Nevada Army National Guard
By Staff Sgt. Erick Studenicka

Queen Creek, Ariz. -- Faced with her myriad of daily tasks and responsibilities during Nevada Project ChalleNGe, Elko resident Angela Yava didn't have time to contemplate her past mistakes during her 22-week stay at the military-style residential program located on the fringe of the Sonoran Desert.

"There was no time to think about the past," said Yava, 17, as she shined her boots just hours before graduating from the program. "Sometimes I would think about the past in my rack when I was ready to go to sleep, but more often I was thinking about what I had to do to make it through tomorrow."

Yava was one of nine Nevada "at-risk" youths to graduate from the program last week along with 72 Arizona youths. Seven of the Nevada students also earned their General Educational Development (GEDs) diplomas during the course. The Nevada program is run in conjunction with the Arizona Project ChalleNGe program and is conducted in Queen Creek, a small town just outside of Mesa.

According to Nevada Project ChalleNGe coordinator Sgt. Major Alan Callanan of the Nevada Army Guard, Yava's statement about having to focus on her future unknowingly summed up the goal of Nevada Project ChalleNGe.

"The mission of Project ChalleNGe is to prepare students both academically and socially for their future and allow them to concentrate on their potential rather than focusing on their previous bad decisions," Callanan said.

Co-sponsored by the Nevada National Guard and the Nevada Dept. of Education, Project ChalleNGe is a "boot camp" style program that is built on eight fundamental life components including: life-coping skills, academic excellence, job skills, community service, responsible citizenship, health and hygiene, leadership and physical fitness. The students enrolled in the voluntary program predominantly have "at-risk" troubled pasts, often including truancy, run-ins with the law, and drug and alcohol abuse histories.

Yava's history was similar to many other Project ChalleNGe students. After dropping out of high school and several encounters with the police, Yava was left with a choice posed to her by a judge.

"It was either go to jail or come here, so I said to myself Why not come here?'" Yava said.

Although Yava admitted to some difficult times during her five months in residence (including the 4:30 a.m. wake-up calls), she said she had made the right choice.

"I caught a very big break from the judge who allowed me to come her, I'd like to thank her," said Yava, who earned her GED on her second attempt at the test. "This program has taught me self-discipline and self-respect as well as respect for others.

"I would recommend this program to anyone, not just at-risk students, but anyone with low self-esteem."

Project ChalleNGe cadre member Manuel Hernandez said the change in Yava's attitude was noticeable during her stint at Project ChalleNGe.

"It's been a 180-degree turn in her attitude," Hernandez said. "We had a talk about her attitude, I told her she had it in her to become a leader, and you see the result  she has become a platoon leader and she's good at it."

While the majority of 17-year-olds are uncertain about their futures, Yava now has a plan for her career. She is set to enroll at Great Basin Community College this summer and then begin an internship in Washington, D.C., next February in order to prepare for a prospective job in the medical field.

"I want to be an x-ray technician in the Navy," said Yava, who first learned about the job following an injury that required an x-ray. "It's a great field to be in and I like to sail."

According to Callanan, more than 350 young Nevadans have graduated from Project ChalleNGe since its inception in 1996. The majority of the graduates have gone on to further their education, join the military, or work in their chosen vocational fields. About 70 percent of the graduates have earned their GED diplomas.

Callanan said that although the program ultimately costs about $14,000 for each student, the government picks up the entire tab to make the program a viable option for any family with an at-risk youth. About 7,000 students across the country are enrolled in Project ChalleNGe programs each year throughout the nation.

For information on Nevada Project ChalleNGe, call Callanan at (775) 887-7357.