Weekend offers insight on life as a cadet

It's not every day high school students have a chance to rappel down a sheer rock cliff or work with teammates to navigate rope bridges and obstacle courses.

From March 31 to April 2, high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will step into this whole new world at the University of North Georgia's (UNG) National Leadership Challenge (NLC) weekend that offers a small sampling of life in the Corps of Cadets.

Registration is available on the UNG Cadet Recruiting website.

NLC has proven to be a life-changing weekend for many, like cadet Samuel Bailey, from Naples, Florida.

"NLC was an eye-opener for many new things I would be missing out on in life," Bailey, a freshman pursuing a degree in criminal justice, said. "It was also a time that taught me lessons on leadership, friendship and what it means to be a part of a team. It also integrated me into UNG better than orientation did because there were fewer people so you had the chance to talk with higher-ups."

According to Mike Ivy, '95, director of Cadet Recruiting at UNG, NLC participants will get a chance to learn about themselves and how to work as a team.

Students travel in from all over the country from as far as California, Colorado, Indiana, and New Jersey to participate in the weekend's leadership development activities.

"The idea is to help these high school students understand how they can further hone their leadership skills as cadets at UNG," Ivy said.

Held each fall and spring, the weekend starts with check-in on Friday afternoon, followed by a briefing for parents at the Military Leadership Center. They will wrap up the day with UNG history during the Legacy of Gold ceremony.

Students will travel Saturday to Camp Frank D. Merrill, where the Army's Ranger school trains soldiers in military mountaineering, and then experience leadership reaction courses at the university's Pine Valley Recreation Complex.