KINGWOOD, W.Va. –The West Virginia National Guard’s Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy, North program graduated 85 cadets as part of Class 66 Friday.
The ceremony took place at the West Virginia National Camp Dawson in Kingwood.
According to a release, Class 66 featured 46 cadets graduating with their high school diploma. Of those graduating, 39 percent plan to join the workforce, five percent plan to join the military, 40 percent plan to attend a vocational/technical program, and 16 percent of the class plan to participate in the Mountaineer Job ChalleNGe program.
“The cadets of Class 66 have worked hard and today their efforts have resulted in the successful completion of an important milestone in their lives,” keynote speaker West Virginia Senate President Randy Smith said. “The education and leadership skills cadets have learned while at MCA have prepared each of them for their futures. It is heartwarming to hear their stories and their accomplishments, and to see the growth and maturity that each of them have achieved during their time at MCA.”
The release said Class 66 represents 27 different counties throughout the state, with Berkeley County having the highest enrollment of 10 cadets.
During the 22-week program, cadets were able to provide more than 3,914 hours of community service through 60 different projects, a recognized value of more than $131,099.
The mission of the academy aims to train and mentor selected at-risk young, ages 16 to 18 years old, to become contributing members of society using the Eight Core Components in a quasi-military environment during the 22-week program and one year post-residential program.
Since 1993, 6,280 cadets have graduated from the program.