196 to graduate Saturday from Class 57 of National Guard’s Youth Challenge

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – Almost 2 hundred cadets are scheduled to graduate Saturday from the newest class of the Mississippi Nationwide Guard Youth Problem Academy.

A commencement ceremony for Class 57 is about for 10:30 a.m. on the Forrest County Multi-Goal Facility.

Youth Problem is a 22-week, military-style course for at-risk youth or different college students.

“It modified me in numerous methods,” stated Adonis Phillips, a 16-year-old cadet from Meridian.

“I got here right here with an angle and an anger downside and all people noticed that and all people began speaking to me and I modified.”

Cadets can get their GEDs or study job abilities.

“I’m feeling much more assured about myself. I bought my GED, my highschool diploma, in order that’s what I got here right here to get, as a result of I wasn’t in class earlier than I got here right here,” stated Brooklyn Corridor, a 17-year-old cadet from Mendenhall.

Organizers stated 196 cadets are anticipated to take part within the ceremony.

“It’s made me understand a bunch of issues about myself,” stated Dailya Ward, a cadet from Gulfport.

“I’m smarter than I believed I used to be. It gave me quite a lot of good alternatives. It despatched me to school, so I’ve completed one semester of school. I bought school hours.”

Ward will graduate as salutatorian for Class 57.

Greater than 10,000 cadets have graduated from the Youth Problem Academy since 1994.

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