Recently a close family member was struggling in high school and on the verge of dropping out. He was hanging with the wrong crowd and generally on a downward path. As I had previously served as a mentor in the Youth Challenge Program, I saw first hand how the program worked and what it can do for people’s lives. I tried contacting my family member to suggest this opportunity to him, but he would not return my telephone calls. However, when he ran afoul of the law and had to spend several days in a juvenile facility, he realized that the Youth Challenge Program might be an option for him.
I presented the idea of his placement in the Youth Challenge Program to the district attorney and the judge in charge of his case, and they concurred in the idea that this might be a worthwhile opportunity for him. My family member came to live with me prior to his placement in the program and we got him a job at a local meat market until it was time for him to enter the program. He was hesitant, afraid, and did not know what to expect from the program. He spent six months in the Youth Challenge Program which provides a structured environment that includes academics and physical training. His time in the program exceeded his expectations and the expectation of his family members. In a class of 250, he graduated with honors and was one of only nine cadets who graduated with a five star classification. He also was one of nine cadets who received an academic scholarship. He received his GED through the program and is now headed to college. His criminal charges have been put behind him and he has restored not only his family’s confidence in him, but his confidence in himself as well. We provided the opportunity and supported him all the way, but he worked to meet and exceed all the requirements of the program. The Youth Challenge Program has proven to be a program that works for troubled youth.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
