KINGWOOD, W.Va. — The latest class of the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy north graduated Friday at Camp Dawson near Kingwood.
Sixty-five cadets walked the podium and shook the hands of Academy Director Dianna Reese and MX Sports Director and Morgantown area businessman Tim Cotter, who attended as the keynote speaker. The cadets now join more than 6,000 graduates of the 22-week program that has helped support growth of at-risk youth since 2012.
“I’m very proud of him, I’ve seen a definite change he’s grown, and he’s got big plans for the future,” said Berkley County parent Kylie Ashby after the ceremony, speaking about her son.
During the 22-week stay at Camp Dawson, the cadets are brought into a quasi-military environment where they are trained on attention to detail, respect, self-discipline, and a chain of command. With a one-year post-residential phase also a part of the program, parents and family members of the cadets noted the immediate change of the person that was at the camp.
“Her discipline has changed dramatically, her grades—she was failing out of high school, and she (now is) almost completed up here for her GED,” said Tucker County parent Randall Tuttle, speaking about his daughter. “It’s night and day compared to high school, it’s amazing what they do with the children here.”
As part of the awards portion of the ceremony, Cadet Christian Patricola was awarded the Robert C. Byrd Distinguished Cadet Award as well as the Adjutant General’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Espirit De Corps Award for his leadership shown during the program.
Cadet Michael Echols was presented with the Leadership Award, Cadet Anthony McKenzie was presented with the Citizenship Award, and Cadet Dakota Toothman was presented with the Academic Challenge Award. All of the cadets are either working towards or will complete their high school diploma or get a GED, with all of them planning to immediately enter a trade or continue their education once they return home.
“Next for me, I’m planning on getting a job and then going to Job ChalleNGe,” said Cadet Mason Keisel on what’s next for him. “Then I plan on going to UNHO, the University of Northwestern Ohio, for construction equipment technologies.”
Of the 65 cadets that graduated, Berkeley County has the largest representation by county, with 21 in total represented from across the Mountain State. Forty-two of the graduating cadets will have high school diplomas, with 22 completing GED programs and one planning to immediately enter college. There will also be four cadets planning to enter military service, with 11 scheduled to enter a trade school program starting next year. For the cadets, it’s a reflection of both the discipline and positive relationships built at the academy for those that might be considered too far gone in a regular learning environment.
“There’s definitely an authority aspect to it, but there’s also, like, a we’re-all-family aspect to it,” said Keisel. “I think that’s what I took away from it the most.”