Life was normal when Kyle Alexy was growing up in Afton.

Then it fell apart.

When Alexy was 13, his dad died from a bone disease. His mom followed two years later from pneumonia.

"I dropped out of high school mid-sophomore year," said Alexy, now 17. "I couldn't really get along with any of my classmates and I always got teased a lot."

His two brothers both had criminal histories and one was in prison, leaving Alexy without a family to care for him.

"Basically, he was living on the streets for two years or living with friends," said Eli Hale, a police officer in Afton. "He had somewhat of a home, but it wasn't a conducive environment. As an officer, we see kids like that every day."

The Wyoming National Guard's Youth ChalleNGe program was just getting started, and Hale was able to convince Alexy to join the first class in January. Hale signed on as Alexy's peer mentor, offering his support and friendship throughout the course.

Alexy said he was interested in the program right away and saw the chance to turn his life around.

"I came here to get my GED and to get my life going in the right direction," he said after making it through the first two weeks.

He said he wanted to quit after the first few days because the structured environment was so different from what he was used to, but he was glad that he stuck with it.

"I actually feel good about myself again, and I don't sleep all day anymore," he said in February, looking down at his hands, unable to make eye contact.

Over the course of the program, Alexy's self-esteem and confidence would mature as he realized he was not the failure he thought he was.

"Once he made it about halfway through the program, he was at the top of his class," Hale said recently. "He became a leader to all the kids. He knew he could do whatever they asked of him. Physically and mentally, he could do anything.

"Before, he thought there was no way he'd ever be able to get his GED," Hale said, "but he got the highest score in his class."

Alexy passed his GED exam with a 580 average and got a perfect 800 score in science.

Alexy wrote a letter to Merrill Lynch and landed a $2,000 college scholarship. He will attend Gillette College and will start classes on Aug. 30. He plans to study petroleum engineering, but first he needs to take basic classes in applied science, math and English.

"I think I've changed tremendously," he said midway through the program, his eyes now bright with confidence and enthusiasm, his uniform neat and his living area tidy. "I can take orders. I have confidence in myself. I didn't think I would make it this far. I'm very glad I stayed in. I definitely recommend this program. It helped me with my schooling, leadership, responsibility, life skills and how to interact with people."

The peer mentor is an integral part of the ChalleNGe program, ensuring the cadets have someone at home they can ask for help. Hale said that because of Alexy's unique situation, he was more involved than most mentors.

"When he started, he had no Social Security card, no driver's license and no identification," Hale said. "I also helped him with finances and with banking issues, talked with him on a weekly basis and made sure he had the things he needed.

"I made it to two of the visitation days, but since I live on the opposite side of the state, I had to drive 500 miles," he said. "It was great to be able to see his progress every two months. It was neat to see him excel in things he knew he could."

During graduation, Hale was presented with the outstanding mentor award and will stay in contact with Alexy primarily by phone.

"I've grown up a lot and now I know what I need to do," Alexy said last week from Gillette, where he is living with his brother and has a job lined up at Kmart. "I'm much more responsible now, I'm doing what I'm supposed to do and what I need to do and I'm not staying out late or drinking anymore.

"I know that the rest of my life is ahead of me," he said. "Even a simple screw up can ruin your life."

For the related stories click the links below.

Starting over

Program comes at high cost

Reporter John Morgan can be reached at (307) 266-0614 or john.morgan@casperstartribune.net.