Joey Smith feels comfortable at home.
- Joey: This is one of my best gardens I've ever done.
- Angela: But that wasn't always the case.
When he was in high school, his home life
was so chaotic, Joey ended up in Tomah
at the Challenge Academy,
a six-month reform school put on by
the Wisconsin National Guard.
- Before the Challenge Academy, I was always hesitant.
I wasn't a go-getter.
[in adolescent voice] I'm going to try and stick it out till the end.
- It was a last chance program
to get his life back on course
with a little military-style discipline.
[yelling] - Let's go, men, march!
- I think before I came here,
I was kinda' slouchy and kind of lazy.
- Angela: Joey graduated with the confidence
to chart his own course.
- I guess you could say,
it helped me realize my inner potential.
After the Academy,
I'm like, I could do anything.
- Angela: He moved out west to find work.
- Joey: I lived out in North Dakota.
I lived out in Wyoming.
I got homesick.
I had to come back.
- Angela: One day at lunch,
a co-worker was talking about his son.
- Joey Smith: Having real problems with my son,
He's just not listening.
He's failing in school.
- Angela: Joey had some advice.
- I was a lot like your son,
and I went to the Challenge program,
and it made me a better person.
About a month later,
[chuckles] he's asking me if I want to be the mentor,
and I said, "Well, yeah, sure,
maybe it's about time I give back."
- Angela: That brought Joey back to Tomah
for the first time since graduation.
- Joey: It brought back a lotta warm fuzzy feelings.
[cadets call out response in unison]
It's been 13 years,
but as soon as
the first day that I came back
and did my mentor training, a lot things just clicked.
It was like,
"Wow, I remember marching down that street,"
or,
"Wow, I remember doing push-ups over there."
- Angela: And now, Joey is working with Jake.
- Jake: These are the guys who I live with. - Joey: Yep.
I see a lot of me in Jake.
And that's why I love being his mentor.
That's a younger me.
- Angela: As a mentor, Joey's job is
just to be there for Jake.
- We kinda gauge each other, it's goes in hand-in-hand.
And, right now, as we stand, we're best of buds.
[laughing together]
We're clicking,
and I love it.
He's a good kid.
He's got a really good heart.
He's got a really good head on his shoulders.
- Angela: To measure his journey,
Joey simply has to see how far he's come.
- Instructor: Whatever role you're in in life now--
- Joey: It feels good to give back.
- Instructor: A kid that's totally looked up to.
- Joey: The Academy's done a lot for me.
That's awesome!
It's good seeing you too, Sir.
Having all my instructors come up to me
and shake my hand,
and tell me,
"Wow, you've grown up.
You're doing great."
- Jake: Hey, Joey? - Joey: I'm ready.
That's a feeling of self-accomplishment.
* *