Illinois Graduate Gives Herself A Second Chance

Vanessa Limas
Married, with a son
Associate's Degree from Wilbur Wright College
Chicago, IL

Vanessa Limas dropped out of the Chicago public school system during her sophomore year.  She was bored and says she just wanted to "fool around with my friends."  However, she hadn't completely abandoned education altogether:  "I knew I would get my GED, because I always wanted to go to college. I just didn't want to be in the public school system."  Her plans hit a road bump when she discovered that she'd have to wait three years, until the year her classmates would graduate, to obtain her GED.  When she came across a pamphlet for the Illinois ChalleNGe Academy during a visit downtown, she found new hope.  After discovering that she could earn a GED through ChalleNGe, Vanessa immediately applied and was accepted.

"ChalleNGe taught me the self discipline and self respect I needed," Vanessa confided.  "It puts you into place.  The staff doesn't treat you like a kid. The experience was a real wake-up call for me."  Vanessa continued, "ChalleNGe was a growing experience for me.  I realized there would always be someone bigger or stronger than me, and I learned how to accept that.  I learned respect for other people, other cultures and other points of view.   It really made me grow and learn to assimilate."

Today, Vanessa is married to Justin Anaya and has a one-year-old son.  "Justin looks like me," she says proudly of her son.  "He looks just like I did in my old baby pictures."  Vanessa is also set to graduate this spring with a 3.0 GPA and an associate's degree from Wilbur Wright College.  From there, she's off to Chicago's Loyola University where she'll major in psychology.  "I've been interested in psychology since high school," she explains. "My dream would be to have my own clinical psychology practice, work with the mentally disabled, set my own hours, and take care of my baby.  That's my dream."

When asked what advice she would offer to a potential ChalleNGe cadet, Vanessa doesn't hesitate.  "If you're thinking about it, GO!" she exclaims.  "You'll get so much from the program.  Life isn't always fair or easy; you won't get anywhere without an education.  So, GO!"

To close, Vanessa offered this heartfelt remark: "The staff at ChalleNGe really go above and beyond in helping troubled teens.  They are extraordinary people. They are tough on us, but they do it for the right reasons," she reflected.  "My parents think ChalleNGe is a dream come true  I think so, too." 

Vanessa graduated from the Lincoln program on December 19th, 2001.