KINGWOOD, W.Va. –
The West Virginia National Guard’s Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy will graduate 155 cadets as a part of Class 52 today.
Class 52 has 137 cadets, or 88 percent, graduating the program with a high school diploma. Of those graduating, 55 percent (806 cadets) plan to join the workforce, 16 percent (24 cadets) plan to join the military, 17 percent (26 cadets) plan to attend a vocational/technical program and 12 percent (19 cadets) plan to go onto a four-year college program.
“Today is a tremendously important day for these young people who have achieved something remarkable in graduating from the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy,” said Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer, the Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard. “Not only have these cadets shown courage and commitment in overcoming personal and community challenges, they’ve also set a standard for achievement in their lives that will extend well beyond their time here. I cannot overstate how proud we are of their accomplishments and how important this is for the State of West Virginia.”
Class 52 represents 35 different counties throughout the Mountain State, with Kanawha County having the highest enrollment for the course with 23 cadets.
Throughout the 22-week program, cadets provided more than 9,210 hours of community service through 114 different projects, a recognized value of more than $234,223.
The mission of the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy is to train and mentor selected at-risk youth to become contributing members of society using the Eight Core Components in a quasi-military environment during a 22-week residential and one-year post-residential follow-up program. It is a free volunteer program for West Virginia youth ages 16 to 18 years old who are educationally at-risk.
Since its inception in 1993, the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy has graduated 4,515 cadets from the program.
Award winners from the program are as follows:
ROBERT C. BYRD DISTINGUISHED CADET AWARD
Cadet Yasmin Cummings
Charleston, Kanawha County
Granddaughter of Flora Meeks of Charleston and daughter of Ashley Campbell and the late Warren Cummings of Charleston
ADJUTANT GENERAL’S AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Cadet Aiden Roberts
Morgantown, Monongalia County
Son of Cerise Roberts of Morgantown
LEADERSHIP AWARD
Cadet Baylii Yates
Cross Lanes, Kanawha County
Granddaughter of Brenda Cecil of Cross Lanes and daughter of the late Brian Adams of Charleston
CITIZENSHIP AWARD
Cadet Daniel Bird
Bunker Hill, Berkeley County
Son of Daniel Bird and Danna Walker of Bunker Hill
ACADEMIC CHALLENGE AWARD
Cadet Michael Webb
Shady Spring, Raleigh County
Son of Jonathan Webb and Victoria Sizemore of Shady Spring
MOST IMPROVED CADET AWARD
Cadet Micah Burroughs
Welch, McDowell County
Son of Tracie Hale and Kevin Burroughs of Welch
“ESPRIT DE CORPS” AWARD
Cadet David Merrill
Belle, Kanawha County
Son of Billie Hancock of Belle and David and Chandra Merrill of Winifrede
“IRON MIKE” AWARD FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS
Cadet Alan Sanders
Mount Clare, Harrison County
Son of Jeffrey and Sandra Sanders of Mount Clare and Sarah Carder of Elida, OH