Five months ago, Jariquiez Powe, 18 and Willie Brooks, 18, were going down the wrong path. Powe had dropped out of school and Brooks was close behind him.

Running out of options, they knew they needed a change of pace and Camp Shelby offered an alternative with its Mississippi National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

The program changed both young men – a complete 360 for Powe – and they will be graduating on June 22 with a GED.

“I would have been dead or in jail,” Powe said.

Powe and Brooks are among many youths who stayed for the whole Mississippi National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

The free program is for at-risk boys and girls ages 16 to 18 and provides an alternative form of high school. The program teaches youth not only academic requirements but also life skills, self-discipline and employment opportunities. Brooks said instead of spending all day in a classroom their classes are around two hours and teachers are more hands on.

Brooks and Powe, who participated with different platoons, said they had to get used to the program. 

“You have to change, you have to adapt to the change, the discipline and the structure we never had before,” Powe said.

The first two weeks proved a difficult adjustment. They could not have contact with their families, had to wake up at 5 a.m., had to shave their heads, had to get used to not having a cell phone and had to give up favorite foods such as pizza, burgers and fries.

“It was hard because we just came from home, and we can leave the house when we want to and stay up as long as we want,” Powe said.

2 students, different upbringing

Powe became involved in gang life at an early age. He was shot twice, once while he was playing with a gun and the other time while hanging around with a bad crowd. Powe said he never did his homework and he smoked.

He dropped out of school and began to get into trouble.

Powe made his first attempt at Camp Shelby when he 16, but left after three days.

Realizing he made a mistake, he wanted to go back. He had to apply twice more to get back in.

“I realize that was my only chance, I regretted it and they gave me a second chance, I took that chance and ran with it,” Powe said.

Brooks said he was close to dropping out and stopped going to school. He began to think about his former tutor, Donia Evans.

Evans has known Brooks since she read to him at Parkview Elementary as part of an outreach program from First Baptist Church in Meridian. He made a pact with her in the third grade, he would graduate from high school.

Once in the program, Brooks, too, thought about quitting.

“I wanted to quit the first two weeks but how will my Momma feel? She would be proud (of him graduating), I should just tough up and be a man,” Brooks said.

A lesson

Growing up without a father figure in the home, both teens had a hard time looking for positive influences in life. Being part of the Camp Shelby program helped them to find those positive role models. Most of the mentors are retired members of the Army.

Powe said the mentors are always there for him and the other youths in the program.

“If we have a real problem, they listen,” Powe said.

Powe said the mentors make time for participants and would take them to places such as Wendy’s and college basketball games. It was the first time he had seen a college team play live.

“It’s a great opportunity because we are taking trips to a lot of different places,” Brooks said.

Powe said one thing he remembers most is visiting a prison, reminding him he could end up there if be didn’t change his life. While at the prison, he met someone who was in the same program as him. The man told Powe to take the opportunity provided to him to change his life so he won’t wind up in prison.

“Once up there it took me away from the violence, the drugs and cleaned my system,” Powe said.

The future

Both teens have high hopes for the future and want to talk to other young black men about how they turned their lives around. Powe said Camp Shelby is really good for anyone who doesn’t have a father figure in their life and for those needing discipline.

“It really saves lives, it really saved my life, Powe said.

Powe and Brooks said they will be going into the Army after they graduate. Both said with a career in the military they can both travel the world. 

“I never thought that I would leave Meridian,” Powe said.

Before they head off for their travels, they are looking forward to seeing girls again, playing some Fortnite and eating some of their favorite foods.

Humbled, Powe and Brooks, said they are glad they had an opportunity to be part of something like Camp Shelpy and getting a diploma.

“I guess it is a dream come true because I never thought I would be in a graduation thing,” Powe said.