Charice Scruggs, case manager, Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, center, speaks with friends and family supporting cadets with the same program following a graduation ceremony at Havre de Grace High School in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on Dec. 14, 2024. Post-graduation, the alums are assigned a case manager for 12 months to monitor their progress, assist with life goals, from education to employment, and provide additional resources like transportation and so much more. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Chazz Kibler)
Gayle Dixon, a science instructor with Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, has a discussion with a colleague following a graduation ceremony at Havre de Grace High School in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on Dec. 14, 2024. “Every child learns differently, and I have learned that most of our children have to identify their learning skills,” said Dixon. “I’ve learned to give them the benefit of the doubt when they say, ‘Ms. Dixon, I don’t know.’” (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Chazz Kibler)
Two Freestate ChalleNGe Academy graduates hug Troy Speights, a case manager with the same program, following a graduation ceremony at Havre de Grace High School in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on Dec. 14, 2024. Post-graduation, the alums are assigned a case manager for 12 months to monitor their progress, assist with life goals, from education to employment, and provide additional resources like transportation and so much more. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Chazz Kibler)
An audience applauds Freestate ChalleNGe Academy cadets during a graduation ceremony at Havre de Grace High School in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on Dec. 14, 2024. FCA is a 22-week quasi-military residential program that aims to give 16 to 18 years a second chance at life by providing job skills, discipline, and preparation to take the General Education Development exam. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Chazz Kibler)