FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — A class of 66 cadets have graduated from the West Virginia National Guard’s Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy – South program.
Class 61 graduated Friday during a ceremony at the Fayette County Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The program takes place in Montgomery.
“The graduating cadets of the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy-South are celebrating a significant milestone in their lives,” stated Maj. Gen. Bill Crane, the Adjutant General of West Virginia. “The dedication, devotion, pride, and confidence these cadets have developed and demonstrated over the past 22 weeks exemplifies the best attributes of leadership, personal courage, and heartfelt commitment.”
48 cadets, or 73% of the class have obtained their high school diploma. Of those graduating, 42% plan to join the workforce, 17% want to join the military, 12% plan to attend a vocational or technical program and 9% aspire to move on to a four-year college program. 13 cadets said they plan to participate in the Mountaineer Job ChalleNGe Program after graduation.
Cadets provided more than 4,300 hours of community service through 23 different projects during the 22-week program.
“Each cadet has worked hard and excelled at overcoming adversity,” Maj. Gen. Crane added. “The education, values, self-discipline, goal setting and leadership skills they have learned while at MCA have better prepared them to be impactful West Virginia citizens.
28 different counties make up Class 61. Kanawha County had the highest enrollment for the course with 15 cadets.
Nearly 5,700 cadets have graduated from the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy program since 1993.