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Singer learns life lessons at academy
By MARY JO WHITE
EATON RAPIDS - Eighteen-year-old Nikiya Bria of Eaton Rapids never thought she'd be singing in front of thousands of people at the start of the Detroit Marathon a few weeks ago.
Especially dressed in her gray uniform and black boots from the Michigan Youth ChalleNGe Academy in Battle Creek.
That's exactly what she did, though, belting out Carrie Underwood's "Lessons Learned" in front of a sea of red, white and blue balloons.
MYCA students had spent a couple of Saturdays stuffing 20,000 "goodie bags" for the runners, according to Bria's dad, David Bria. One of the race promoters noticed a couple of them singing and eventually heard Bria sing, thus setting the stage for an audition, then the performance.
The experience has definitely broadened her horizons.
With only a few weeks left before she leaves the Academy, Bria's allowing herself to dream big.
She even has plans to audition for "American Idol," and credits her 22 weeks at MYCA as a big part of the reason why.
Before coming to Battle Creek last fall, Bria had tried marijuana and dropped out of high school after her sophomore year. She had dated a young man for several years, then broke up with him.
"I cared too much about what other people thought of me," said Bria, who credits MYCA with saving her life. "Breaking up (with my boyfriend) tore me up. I needed to get my life back on track."
David Bria remembers those hard times very well.
"The turmoil ... was ripping our family apart," he said. "Niki was definitely heading down a bad path. Without this program, I don't know where she'd be today."
A tough road at first
The first two weeks at MYCA, called the "pre-challenge," were very hard. Bria wasn't allowed to talk to anyone or call home. Staff were literally in her face and showers were curtailed to two minutes.
"(Everything) was structure, structure, structure," Bria said. "I cried for the first two weeks."
Being one of only 24 female cadets in a class of 136 probably made the situation tougher, though Bria doesn't complain.
Today her main focus is graduating Dec. 6 with a GED and 15 college credits to boot.
Along with her singing, of course, something she has done for years at various places in Eaton Rapids, including her church, First Methodist, as well as the Tendercare in Albion where her grandmother lives.
Bria has Plan B safely in place, too, in case the singing career takes awhile. She will start working right after graduation at the Canine School of Cosmetology in Lansing, earning certification as a groomer next April. She also has a job at the Bob Evans Restaurant in Delta Township.
Thanks to MYCA, she's learned to assess her skills and write a good resume.
Family support
One of four siblings, each raised in a different adoptive home, Bria credits her dad and her mom, Delaine, who has worked for the Eaton Rapids School District for over 30 years, for at least part of her turnaround.
She calls her dad her best friend and treasures a letter from her mom detailing how impressed she's been with Bria's progress.
"My mom says this place should be called the Michigan Family ChalleNGe Academy," she said, because families change, too.
Her dad agrees, citing the parenting classes offered that showed him and his wife how to deal better with young adults.
"We're able to see Niki in a different light," he said.
Sergeant Paul Campbell, who Bria says helped her audition for the marathon, has been another important support. "I probably wouldn't be here if he hadn't helped me with my music - and my life," she said.
Academy has challenges too
Despite its success with students like Bria, the 10-year-old MYCA is facing problems of its own, one being the fact that the program has outgrown the building. Then there are the budget problems that are impacting all Michigan schools three months into the academic year. Three-quarters of MYCA's current $4.1 million budget is federal, with a $1 million state match, about half of which is now in jeopardy, according to Jon Hansen, chief of staff for State Representative Kate Segal, whose district includes MYCA.
"We're reaching out to both governmental and private sources," he said. "It's tough because there's just not enough money to go around."
In the meantime, MYCA staff are operating in limbo. "This class will graduate," said admissions coordinator Jimmie Jones, "but the next class is (only) half funded."
To view the full article and photos, click here.
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Kimberly Hanscom
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