Fayetteville

Cadet Douglas Smith was one of three cadets at

the Georgia Youth Challenge Academy chosen for

its Citizenship Trophy.

Awarded

a trip to Washington, D.C., Smith, along with

Airman 1st Class Nicole Posey and Cadet Jonathan

Workman, represented the Fort Stewart-based Youth

Challenge program in receiving the trophy on

behalf of the Class XIII of the YCA, which is

near Augusta.

It

was given in recognition of the unusual program,

which created a greater understanding of and

appreciation for individual citizen rights and

responsibilities.

The

cadets also were exposed to specialized academic

curricula on citizenship.

In

Bill Shipp's weekly newsletter, May 15, 2000, he

stated that of the 2,000 graduates of the

academy, 94 percent of them took civilian jobs,

entered vocational school or college and 16

percent enlisted in the military. The program

accepts about 200 students for each of its

cycles, which begin in January and July. It is,

Shipp quotes, "Georgia's best-kept

secret."

Smith

is the son of Jim and Deb Smith, Fayetteville,

and the grandson of Douglas and Retta R. Dennis,

Fayetteville, and Erwin and Vera Smith,

Wilmington, N.C.

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