[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2020)]
[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 . . .'

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