West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia National Guard’s Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy – South program, located in Montgomery, West Virginia, graduated 58 cadets as a part of Class 62 today at Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston, West Virginia.
“The cadets of the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy-South Class 62 have successfully proven their dedication, devotion, and commitment to furthering their lives and have earned this day and this significant graduation milestone,” stated Maj. Gen. Bill Crane, the Adjutant General of West Virginia. “Over the past 22 weeks, these cadets have learned the values of leadership, personal courage, and hard work to overcoming adversity. They have learned self-discipline, goal setting, and life skills that have better prepared them to be impactful West Virginia citizens. The cadets now know that if they dream it and believe it, they can achieve it. Our entire One Guard family celebrates their accomplishment here today and look forward to all they will do in their futures.”
Class 62 has 40 cadets, or 69 percent, graduating the program with a high school diploma. Of those graduating, 21 percent (12 cadets) plan to join the workforce, 19 percent (11 cadets) plan to join the military, 31 percent (18 cadets) plan to attend a vocational/technical program and five percent (3 cadets) plan to go onto a four-year college program. Twenty-four percent of the class (14 cadets) plan to participate in the Mountaineer Job ChalleNGe Program after graduation.
Class 62 represents 24 different counties throughout the Mountain State, with Kanawha County having the highest enrollment for the course with 14 cadets.
Throughout the 22-week program, cadets provided more than 3,768 hours of community service through 24 different projects, a recognized value of more than $126,109.32.
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.
A total of 5,812 cadets have graduated from the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy program since 1993.
Award winners from Class 61 are as follows:
ROBERT C. BYRD DISTINGUISHED CADET AWARD
Cadet Tyler Baier
Clendenin, Kanawha County
Son of Jacob Baier and Heather Smith
ADJUTANT GENERAL’S AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Cadet Sampson Swetnam
Peterstown, Monroe County
Son of Kurt Swetnam and Amy Broyles
LEADERSHIP AWARD
Cadet Jared Krinke
White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County
Son of Darrel and Cristin Krinke
CITIZENSHIP AWARD
Cadet Anthony Costlow
Thomas, Tucker County
Nephew of James and Heather Little
ACADEMIC CHALLENGE AWARD
Cadet Sampson Swetnam
Peterstown, Monroe County
Son of Kurt Swetnam and Amy Broyles
MOST IMPROVED CADET AWARD
Cadet Cameryn Moore
Hillsboro, Pocahontas County
Grandson of Mary Ryder
“ESPRIT DE CORPS” AWARD
Cadet Tyler Baier
Clendenin, Kanawha County
Son of Jacob Baier and Heather Smith
“IRON MIKE” AWARD FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS
Cadet Brelan Redden
Prince, Fayette County
Son of James and Victoria Redden
“IRON MICHELLE AWARD FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS
Cadet Samantha Trump
Tornado, Kanawha County
Daughter of James and Jane Trump
CAPTAIN JOSEPH L. CULLINAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Cadet Anthony Easley
Beaver, Raleigh County
Son of Tricia Latima and Nicholas Easley
Enlisting into the West Virginia Air National Guard
