On a crisp winter morning, a slow trickle of teens in gray sweat suits began to line up outside a large, red brick building. They carried pillows under their arms and duffle bags over their shoulders. Some talked softly with parents and other family members; others stared blankly at one another or nothing at all. As the minutes ticked by, the building's closed doors only prolonged the suspense and uncertainty of what would come.

None of them knew what to expect once those doors opened and they stepped inside for in-processing at the Maryland National Guard's Freestate ChalleNGe Academy. They also didn't know they would find themselves facing 1st Sgt. Job Stringfellow — an imposing, energetic, wide-shouldered man in a crisp, tan military-style uniform and black drill sergeant hat — who would greet each teen with a question: "Are you ready to come through my door?"

The abrupt glare of a fluorescent light switching on streaked across the darkened room like lightning chasing away the night sky. Seconds later, locker doors slammed with a thunderous metallic crash as the shrill cry of a whistle pierced the air. Just as suddenly, the stormy chaos was broken by a booming voice.

"Get out of bed," the voice commanded. "Get on line."

Startled yet barely awake, candidates at the Maryland National Guard's Freestate ChalleNGe Academy followed the voice's command and stumbled out of their bunks to line up in the hallway for morning roll call.

Cadre members train, care for, mentor, and watch over the cadets of every class that cycles through the academy. Their job requires them to respond to myriad issues and make decisions at a moment's notice.

There isn't a special formula for what makes a great cadre member — their backgrounds are just as varied as the stars in the sky — but there is one attribute each cadre member at Freestate seems to have: passion.

The Freestate ChalleNGe Academy provides instruction based on each cadet's personal needs to prepare them to take the State of Maryland's General Education Development (GED) exam. Classes are in the five areas tested on the GED certification exam: Math, Science, Social Studies, Literature, and Writing Skills/ Essay.

The Academy uses the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) test to measure incoming and outgoing performance. During the first two weeks of the program, the initial assessment of skill level in reading, math, and language is conducted. Teachers use the results from this assessment to develop plans to meet the educational needs of the students. The exit TABE test determines the successful completion of the Academic Excellence Core Component.

Academic training/instruction is the responsibility of the teaching staff and occurs predominantly in a classroom setting. During the residential phase, this training is supplemented with off-site field trips. The destinations of these trips may vary depending on the curriculum being taught. Field trips have included museums, local colleges and universities, and live theater performances.

The cadets marched single file into the classroom and toward another day of "academic excellence," one of eight core competencies required for graduation.

Other competencies include physical fitness, life and job skills, health and hygiene, responsible citizenship, leadership and service to community.

For many academy teachers, academic excellence is the cornerstone on which the other competencies are built.

Today was the day they had been working toward, the culmination of 22 weeks of pushups, early mornings, nonstop schoolwork, and ever-present cadre members. Today was their day—graduation day.

With a sharp command from the cadre, the cadets marched into the drill hall past parents, family members and friends, sounding off one last cadence and stealing glances as they paraded past loved ones before taking their seats.

A 12-month post-residential phase focuses on helping graduates enroll in continued education, technical school programs, or entry-level employment. During this phase, students are assisted by at least one trained mentor from the community for further development and their progress is monitored by a case manager from Freestate ChalleNGe Academy.