Cadets perform drill during the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy graduation on Friday, at Camp Dawson.
CAMP DAWSON — Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy and the Mountaineer Job ChalleNGe Program held graduations Friday at Camp Dawson.
While the ChalleNGe Academy had been helping West Virginia at-risk youth through 53 classes, Friday marked the first graduation from Job ChalleNGe.
A total of 148 cadets, representing 31 counties in West Virginia, graduated from the Academy.
Since the first graduates did their razzle dazzle drills before taking the stage to graduate, a total of 288 Monongalia County youths, 127 Prestonians, 200 from Marion County and 65 from Taylor County have completed the ChalleNGe.
All told, 4,663 cadets have graduated since the Academy’s inception.
During the 22-week program, cadets focus on physical and mental fitness, education and public service. Of the cadets, 130 earned a high school diploma, and 59 of those had high enough scores on the TASC exam to qualify for a Promise Scholarship.
Cadets completed more than 8,345 hours of service to the community, which is worth $212,219.71.
The programs are under the direction of the West Virginia National Guard, and West Virginia Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer was among those attending graduation.
Graduation is a great event, but even more responsibility awaits them now, Hoyer told the grads.
“You’ve demonstrated that you are absolutely capable of being successful and making success out of your life,” the general said.
And that created expectations of future success, he told graduates. He asked one thing of them:
“Be as successful as you can be, whatever it is you do. Give back to your family and your community, and wherever you may go, I want you to always think about West Virginia. I want you to always think about coming back to West Virginia or staying in West Virginia, because this state is the best of any out there if we would just achieve our potential as a state.”
Yasmeen Alvarado receives her certificate from James Hoyer during the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy graduation on Friday, at Camp Dawson.
In each class, awards are given. In this class those were:
– Most Improved Cadet Award — Cadet Chevelle Cook, Preston County.
– Robert C. Byrd Distinguished Cadet Award — Cadet David Turner of Kanawha County.
– Adjutant General’s Award for Academic Excellence — Cadet Joshua See, Kanawha County.
– Leadership Award — Cadet Brandon Johnson, Berkeley County.
– Citizenship Award — Cadet Dakota Armstrong, Cabell County.
– Academic Challenge Award — Cadet Joseph Smith, Kanawha County.
– Espirit de Corps Award — Cadet David Turner, Kanawha County.
– Iron Mike Award for Physical Fitness — Cadet Malachi Adkins, Greenbrier County.
– Joseph L. Cullinan Memorial Scholarship — Cadet Alexander Rector.
Mark Broughton with the first class of the Job ChalleNGe Program recieves his certificate during the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy graduation on Friday, at Camp Dawson.
Mountaineer Job ChalleNGe first class
Fourteen students graduated in the first Job ChalleNGe class. They represented nine counties. Marion County had the largest contingent with three. Preston had one and Mon, none.
Students in the Job ChalleNGe completed the ChalleNGe basic course before enrolling in a training course for medical, phlebotomy and ECG, manufacturing technology or pre-apprenticeship.
In that class awards went to:
– Star Award for Manufacturing Technology — Matthew Wright, Marion County.
– Star Award for Medical — Johnathan McCloud, Marion County.
– Star Award for Pre-Apprenticeship — John Moore, Raleigh County.
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