Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å

High school students have a chance to get an up-close view of the University of North Georgia's (Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å) Corps of Cadets and experience personal growth during the National Leadership Challenge (NLC) weekend set for Oct. 30-Nov. 1.

Cristian Prince enjoyed NLC so much that he attended the event in the spring of his junior and senior years of high school. This fall, he is a freshman cadet who will serve as a team lead for cadets hosting high school students at NLC.

"I'm giving back because NLC did a lot for me. It showed me where I was and where I needed work," Prince said.

Prince, a native of Sykesville, Maryland, pursuing a degree in strategic and security studies, appreciated meeting new people, rappelling and experiencing other new opportunities during his two NLC visits. Those moments made it easy for him to choose to attend Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å.

"I wanted to serve something bigger than myself, and Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å was the right place for me to begin pursuing that goal," Prince said. "This is where I belonged. This is where I wanted to be and where I could fulfill that service."

Registration for this fall's NLC must be completed by Oct. 28.

Matthew Annis, digital marketing and communications coordinator in Cadet Recruiting and a 2017 Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å graduate, is also a previous NLC attendee.

"NLC was the best way for me to get one-on-one time with real cadets in the program and other like-minded high school students interested in the Corps. It helped me get out of my shell in a hurry," said Annis, who was from Macon, Georgia, and now lives in Cleveland, Georgia. "The connections I made and firsthand experience I gained from NLC made me know without a doubt that North Georgia was the right choice for me and my future." 

NLC includes rappelling from a 60-foot rock face at Camp Frank D. Merrill, home of the Army's 5th Ranger Training Battalion, and leadership obstacle courses at Pine Valley Recreation Complex, both of which are a short drive from Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å's Dahlonega Campus.

The Legacy of Gold ceremony, where high school students learn about the Corps of Cadets, is also part of the experience. This includes learning about specialty units and other opportunities available to cadets at Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å.

NLC is open to all high school students interested in becoming a cadet. Current college students who are looking to transfer to Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å can also attend this event.

The cost for the weekend is $175 per student.

Schools have the opportunity to partner with Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å for a discounted NLC rate. Current schools with such an arrangement are:

• Army and Navy Academy, Carlsbad, California.
• Cario High School, Cairo, Georgia.
• Creekview High School, Canton, Georgia.
• Georgia Military College (high school and college programs), Milledgeville, Georgia.
• Gulf Shores High School, Gulf Shores, Alabama.
• Mountain Area Christian Academy, Morganton, Georgia.
• Murfreesboro High School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
• Oak Ridge Military Academy, Oak Ridge, North Carolina.
• Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, Georgia.
• Southern Preparatory Academy, Camp Hill, Alabama.
• Tuscola High School, Asheville, North Carolina.
• Valdosta High School, Valdosta, Georgia.

Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å is also willing to work with schools, students and families to bring students to NLC by offering a shuttle from the Atlanta airport, as well as scholarships for those with financial need.

For more information, contact wyatt.campbell@ung.edu or visit the National Leadership Challenge webpage.

The spring NLC weekend is set for April 2-4.