Cadet Rosalva Armendariz
The Power of a Second Chance
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| Cadet Rosalva Armendariz, left, and her twin sister Rosal |
"I'm not even smiling, miss," she said, but she obviously was. The majority of the other females in her platoon were almost in tears. She was so nervous that she continued to smile, but the cadre were extremely annoyed at her lack of bearing and proceeded to stress compliance.
Rosalva Armendariz started her first cycle at the New Mexico Youth ChalleNGe Academy (NMYCA) in January 2005. In a conversation with her father, he told her and her twin sister, "you are the light of my life, and without you I am nothing." It was when he began to cry that Rosalva realized she needed to make some drastic changes in her life or she would end up in a treatment facility or even jail. She was referred to NMYCA by her juvenile probation officer, Mr. Hugo Gomez. At the time, she was dealing with legal charges related to drug abuse. Through the direction and help of Mr. Gomez, she was accepted to the program.
During most of the cycle, Cadet Armendariz struggled to "fit the mold." Spanish was her first language though she spoke good English. She had a difficult time with her GED classes and with written English. She often struggled with the book portion of her Certified Nursing Assistance classes, but when it came to clinicals and hands-on tasks, she exceeded standards. Unfortunately, she was in trouble a significant amount of the time and began to create a paper trail of disciplinary documentation.
It was not long before Rosalva went before a disciplinary review board and although she complied with the consequences, she refused to correct the behavior. Cadre tried to look beyond her actions to their cause. They knew she was struggling with the language barrier, with worry about her sick mother and missing her father and her sister, but none of the intervention attempts led to a change. She was involved in a verbal confrontation with her vocational teacher. This incident, along with her previous disciplinary problems, resulted in her dismissal from the program only two weeks prior to graduation.
Upon returning home, Rosalva realized she had made a tremendous mistake and lost out on an incredible opportunity. She spoke with Mr. Gomez once more and asked that he write her a letter of recommendation for her reapplication into the program. In addition, she submitted a letter to the director of the program requesting that she be allowed to attend the next cycle. The director drafted conditions upon which she could return and she arrived for cycle 7 with a completely different attitude.
Now Cadet Armendariz for the second time, she had no defensive smile. Her shoulders were held straight and her face revealed a sense of pride and determination not seen in the previous cycle. She persevered, became a role model for her peers, and was promoted to the first female platoon leader that cycle. Rosalva shared her knowledge with new cadets, and worked diligently on her military protocol as well as her academic responsibilities. She also led the color guard team and performed at several veterans' functions in the community throughout the cycle. After nearly a year at the Academy, graduation was emotional. However, despite the tremendous effort she put forth, Cadet Armendariz still fell short of obtaining her GED.
Unwilling to give up, Rosalva began attending Desert Pride Academy, an alternative high school in Las Cruces, New Mexico. There, she was awarded credits for her accomplishments at NMYCA, and ultimately earned her high school diploma. Currently, she is working with mentally and physically disabled clients and plans to attend college for a nursing degree.
The New Mexico Youth ChalleNGe Program commends this young lady for her tireless efforts in the face of adversity. She could have stopped trying when she became involved in drugs, she could have given up when she was dismissed two weeks prior to graduation, she could have quit when she did not obtain her GED after a second cycle, she could have stopped caring for those less fortunate or given up on her education, but Rosalva decided she was not going to quit. We are proud to have fostered her behavior and to have been able to watch her progress from an at-risk youth to a young woman who will surely make an impact on those around her.
Respectfully,
Angela Bonilla
Recruiter/Case Manager, NMYCP