WV Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy graduates 48 cadets

Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy – South graduate Jason McFee receiving the Robert C. Byrd Distinguished Cadet Award from Command Sgt. Maj. James Jones …

Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy – South graduate Jason McFee receiving the Robert C. Byrd Distinguished Cadet Award from Command Sgt. Maj. James Jones (WVNG Photo)

by: Christian Meffert

Posted: Mar 10, 2023 / 08:36 PM EST

Updated: Mar 10, 2023 / 08:36 PM EST

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (WBOY) – 48 cadets in the West Virginia National Guard’s (WVNG) Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy – South in Montgomery, graduated Friday.

According to a release from the WVNG, the cadets from Class 2-2022 South were graduated at the Fayette County Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building in Fayetteville with Command Sgt. Maj. James “Dusty” Jones, Senior Enlisted Leader, serving as the senior military representative for the WVNG.

“The definition we use and teach for personal discipline is, ‘doing the right thing regardless of if anyone is watching,’” said Jones during the graduation ceremony. “Having personal discipline and knowing what the right thing is and continuing to do it no matter how hard or inconvenient it is will carry you a long way in life.”

Of the 48 graduating cadets, 41 cadets will be graduating with a high school diploma, 31 plan to join the workforce, 5 plan to join the military, 5 plan to attend a vocational/technical program, 6 plan to go onto a four-year college program and 1 cadet plans to participate in the Mountaineer Job ChalleNGe Program after graduation.

The Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy is a free volunteer program that helps educationally at-risk West Virginia youth ages 16 to 18 learn 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,” the release said.

The award winners, according to the release, include: