New Jersey Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadets’ Yiliana

New Jersey Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadets’ Yiliana Bueno, Thien Vega-Alvarado, and Katiushka Nazario perform a choral tribute during Class 50’s graduation ceremony at the War Memorial in Trenton, N.J., Dec. 9, 2019. The New Jersey Youth ChalleNGe Academy is an alternative education program designed to reclaim the lives of at-risk 16 to 18 year old youths and produce graduates with the values, skills, education, and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program was established by congress in 1993. New Jersey’s first ChalleNGe class began in September 1994. (New Jersey National Guard photo by Mark C. Olsen)