Lincoln's Challenge Academy - Illinois

Hi my name is Joel Carrillo. I graduated from LCA June of 2003. I was on Team 5.  I decided to attend LCA when I was 16 years old.  I was a high school dropout and lived in a bad neighborhood. I had no positive role models in my life. I was hanging out with the wrong crowd. I needed some discipline and LCA was perfect for me. Lincoln's Challenge Academy helped me grow up and I could finally see life in a more positive manner. I enlisted in the Army National Guard and never looked back. I held the rank of Specialist.  I would love to help future cadets.

I left LCA and went on to the Illinois National Guard as a 62 bravo. I worked as a heavy equipment and a truck mechanic in my personal life. I then started driving tractor trailers hauling heavy equipment. I moved on into the recovery world operating 50 ton wreckers (tractor trailer tow trucks), which took me to California and Texas.  I recently moved back here to Illinois to be closer to my family and children here. I am currently driving a flatbed tractor trailer hauling steel. I travel the area between St. Louis and Chicago often. I credit LCA very much for the basis of my life.

My name is Shakuur Joseph Kroll I graduated from Lincoln's challenge from team 7 with class 39 on December 15th of 2012, I am happy to tell you that I will be completing trade school any week to pursue my career in welding. I just wanted to tell you thank you. Thank you for everything you guys have done for me, I look back on all of this and honestly I don't know what I would be doing if you and the staff at Lincoln's challenge didn't keep pushing me to succeed. Pushing me to attain the drive and initiative to keep moving forward and let nothing stop me from my goal.

The Class 45 visitation schedule has been posted to the site.  Go to the Site Resources section on the right hand side of the page and click on Class 45 Visitation Schedule.

Senior Airman Christopher Kurtz made a decision seven years ago, a choice that changed the very direction of his life in ways he never expected. Instead of being held back, the 18-year-old from Orland Park decided to quit school. It may have been the best decision he had ever made.

Read the Full Article Here:  Christopher Kurtz

Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy Celebrates Black History With Local Churches

RANTOUL, IL (03/02/2015)(readMedia)-- The Civil Rights Movement drew support from people of many different ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs, but the African-American Christian churches played a special part from the freedom songs veiled as hymns to the Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his life in the pursuit of justice.

The non-profit Challenge for the Youth of Today Foundation will hold a meeting at Lincoln's Challenge Academy on Saturday September 27th 2014 at 1000 hours.  This group assists Lincoln's Challenge in the fundraising and operation efforts involving cadets as well as scholarship assistance.  We welcome any guardians, mentors or volunteers who wish to attend this meeting to help better our institution in becoming a better academy for future cadets and families.  Thank you for your support!

Find us on Facebook and Twitter.  We would like to invite everyone interested in the program, alumni, and parents of cadets (current and past) to join our pages. Here's where you will find the latest up to date information regarding the program. Please take time to like our page on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Visitation schedules for Class 43 have been posted, please note that Visitation for Cadets does not start until August 2, 2014.  Visitation times are from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on the scheduled visitation day. Do not arrive any earlier, as cadets have other obligations prior to those times.