For the Reporter
The Washington Youth Academy celebrated the graduation of 12 students from the Kent and Auburn areas during commencement ceremonies on Dec. 20.
The students who have completed the program from Kent are: Jose Gonzalez-De Santiago; Jesus Juarez Delacruz; Susan Lorennij; Esteban Ochoa Banda; Cristal Ojeda-Nevarez; Jasmine Schoenecke; Nadia Southichack; Jordan Turner; Taalili Williams. The three from Auburn are: Dakota Dodson; Joie Lombard; and Bryan Ramirez.
The students were among 144 graduates who will all return to high school to get their diploma or seek an alternative path to finish their high school education, such as a GED or by joining Running Start.
The class is the largest to graduate from the Youth Academy since its first class in January of 2009.
This year’s cadets donated more than 11,000 hours of service to the community, with an estimated value of $273,000 to the community.
The academy’s mission is to provide a highly disciplined, safe and professional learning environment that empowers at-risk youth to improve their educational levels and employment potential and become responsible and productive citizens of the State of Washington.
The academy is a division of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. Established under authority of federal and state law, the WYA is a state-run residential and post-residential intervention program for youth who have dropped out of high school or are at risk of dropping out.
