February 10, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 27 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
HOOSIER YOUTH CHALLENGE CLASS 25; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 27
(Extensions of Remarks - February 10, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks] [Page E163] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HOOSIER YOUTH CHALLENGE CLASS 25 ______ HON. GREG PENCE of indiana in the house of representatives Monday, February 10, 2020 Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, this past December, I had the honor of serving as the keynote speaker for the graduation of Class 25 of the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy. Since 2007, the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy has helped change the lives of many young men and women between the ages of 16 and 18, who, for one reason or another, were headed down the wrong path. Many cadets who take part in the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy program are either dropouts or have been expelled from school. For five and half months, the cadets of Class 25 participated in a quasi-military modeled training and education program that teaches and instills in them a sense of discipline, responsibility, achievement and positive behavior. Among the group of graduates included an impressive 17-year-old from Indianapolis named De'Von Bates. As the Distinguished Honor Graduate, Cadet Bates spoke to his peers as a leader, a role model and a changed young man now filled with confidence, pride and strength. A sense of accomplishment and hope washed over the faces of he and his fellow graduates upon completion of this rigorous program, and I would like to include in the Record Cadet Bates' remarks: ``Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to start off by saying welcome to the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy's 25th graduating class. It is an honor and a privilege to represent this class of 60 as the Distinguished Honor Graduate. It is truly inspiring to look out at my fellow cadets and see just how much we have changed, both physically and mentally. In the beginning, on Day Zero, I remember waiting in line to get a haircut thinking, ``This is not where I want to be.'' By the looks around the room everyone else had the same exact mindset as me. All we had in common that day was a uniform and an I.D. card, and trust me: those pictures were not pretty. During Acclimation Phase we were introduced to a lot of concepts and ideas we weren't used to: for some it was early wake ups; for others it was the physical training. A few of us had problems with organization. I think I speak for us all when I say that one of the most challenging aspects of Acclimation Phase was the time hacks. Everything, no matter how trivial, had a time associated with it. Meeting these time hacks was absolutely crucial because if we failed to do so we got rewarded with PT, with plenty to spare. This made us realize that to succeed we needed to work as a team, and that we were only as strong as our weakest link. We could no longer act as individuals, but had to operate as a team, giving us a ``one team, one fight'' mindset. Thinking back to 5 months ago, I remember how great it felt to receive mail from family and friends. Those 2 weeks were extremely demanding, both physically and mentally, but because of the encouragement from each other, and the constant uplifting notes from our loved ones, we were able to make it through Acclimation Phase and graduate with flying colors. A wave of relief washed over us as we graduated Acclimation Phase, became cadets, and enjoyed the weekend. To finally get a phone call home for the first time since being gone was like a bottle of ice cold water on a hot summer day. These incentives that we had worked so hard for were a privilege, as compared to back at home where we took everything for granted. Acclimation Phase tore us down, but built us back up even stronger. After those two grueling weeks, we entered the ChalleNGe Phase of the program. Throughout the next 5 months we were being shaped, shifted, and molded into the best individuals that HYCA could produce. We started going to school learning our 8 core components, essential life skills needed to succeed in our time here and outside of HYCA. Then more options opened up to us: activities such as basketball, Color Guard, yearbook, and Art Club were made available to us to spend some extra free time we had. An early highlight in the program was Family Day where we were allowed to spend a few hours with our loved ones. Everyone had an amazing time, and it was a huge stress reliever for all of us after being here over 2 months. Soon after there were even more opportunities presented to us: we took the ASVAB test, earned college credit, created a resume, participated in a mock interview, learned job skills, and had a job fair to give us insight into which career interests we could potentially have. We also gained experience by going on Service to Community trips. We learned how to be selfless by investing time in others, not just ourselves. In October we had the Tri-State ChalleNGe, something exciting and different from previous classes. We were able to interact with other people our age and learn about some of the other ChalleNGe academies. To end such an eventful weekend, we also had Mentor Match, followed by weekly visits from our mentors. We received guidance, emotional relief, and plenty of advice from our mentors. You have played an important role in our success here at HYCA and we would like to thank you for spending precious time with us. Finally, here we are at graduation today. After 5\1/2\ long months, I am proud to say that you are looking at a group of successful young men and women. During our time here life- long friendships have been made, relationships with family members have been strengthened, and we have found a driving factor in our lives. A lot of us will leave with our high school equivalency, along with our Building Trades and Retail Sales certifications. We also take with us the confidence and discipline instilled within us during these 22 weeks. To the cadets, I want to say to you: congratulations! We've done it! We've made it through something that most people our age wouldn't dare think about doing. Take great pride in yourself knowing that you have succeeded where others have failed. To the staff of the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy, a huge thanks to you all for being there when we needed you. Thanks for being here through the good and bad days, during the ups and the downs, and for motivating us to be the best that we could be when we couldn't find the motivation from within ourselves. Thank you for being such a critical part of our success, for making us who we are today. Lastly, a special thanks to the family, friends, mentors, and loved ones: you stood on the sidelines, gave your best support possible through letters, phone calls, and constant engagement. Without you, some of us wouldn't have come here to make a positive change in our lives, let alone be here on graduation day ready to start anew with a different, but hopeful outlook on our futures. Thank you again. President Theodore Roosevelt defined success as ``the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.'' Don't be discouraged by your failures, but be motivated by them. We all have the ability to succeed; we just have to find it. I leave you with these words from sportscaster Ernie Harwell: ``It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.'' This is the first day of the rest of your lives. May you all continue to be successful in your own adventures, wherever they may take you! Thank you. Class 25: On your feet! HYCA Creed on 3 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . .' ____________________