Cadet Bethany Howard of Bigfork graduated from the Montana Youth Challenge Academy with Class 27 on Dec. 15.

Sponsored by the National Guard, the Montana Youth Challenge Academy is an academically based program to help youths ages 16-18 develop academic and physical skills on the University of Montana-Western campus that lasts 17-and-a-half months and is broken into two phases.

During the 22-week residential phase, cadets focus on eight core components, physical fitness, academic excellence, leadership-followership, responsible citizenship, service to community, life-coping skills, job skills, and health and hygiene.

After graduation from the residential phase, students enter a 12-month post-residential phase in which they maintain contact with a volunteer mentor in their community.

The commencement ceremony was held in the Straugh Gymnasium on the University of Montana-Western campus. The guest speaker at the ceremony was Maj. Gen. Matthew Quinn, the Adjunct General, Montana National Guard. The keynote speaker was Leo McCarthy, founder of Mariah’s Challenge Foundation.