Aug. 9—DENNISON TWP. — About 70 young people interested in law enforcement and the justice system gathered at YMCA Camp Kresge near White Haven for the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Troop P Camp Cadet program. For a week in the summer, students ages 12 to 15 are encouraged to stretch themselves, learn from special guests and focus on exercises.
“For a lot of [the kids], this is something completely out of their comfort zone,” said Trooper Bill Evans, public information officer and community services officer from Troop P Wilkes-Barre, and the director of Troop P Camp Cadet.
“It’s something completely new to them, and a lot of them — when they arrive — there’s a lot of yelling, a lot of intensity and certainly a lot of push-ups, and they’re starting to question whether they want to be here or not,” Evans explained. “We have kids who come to us and are ready to go home, but we work with them. We work together. We say, ‘We’re going to get through the week together.'”
The Troop P coverage area covers a chunk of Luzerne County, as well as Wyoming, Sullivan and Bradford counties. Evans visits the school districts in that area for recruitment purposes and, in most cases, will present a slideshow detailing the Camp Cadet experience to the student body.
Though the work is difficult, Evans said that the students and counselors who attend Camp Cadet get something important out of the experience. The counselors, made up of both adults and past Camp Cadet attendees, help work through the campers’ fears and anxieties as the week wears on.
“By the end of the week, none of them want to leave, because they’ve made friends, they’ve challenged themselves, they’ve done a lot of cool things, they’ve seen a lot of interesting things, they’ve learned a lot and they’re not ready to go home,” Evans explained. “That tells us that we’re doing a good job.”
Kaylee Bolt, a student at Athens Area High School, is among the former students who returned to Camp Cadet this summer to help guide the new campers. She has especially enjoyed the responsibilities that have come with her leadership role.
“We’re coming back to encourage the new cadets that are coming in — because we’ve been through it all before — and give them insight on how to get through the week and do the very best that they can to take full advantage of every opportunity that they have here,” Bolt said.
After high school, Bolt wants to pursue a career as a civil defense lawyer. Working in the justice system was a common theme among many of the cadets, including Hayden Blake from Towanda Junior/Senior High School, who also wants to be a lawyer someday.
Blake had hoped that coming into the program would help instill a sense of discipline and help him with his physical health. He described the high-quality food and the physical intensity of the program, as well as the strong recommendations he received before coming to Camp Cadet.
“I had a bunch of friends that came here,” Blake said. “They told me a lot about [Camp Cadet] and they said it was a great opportunity to learn more about the police.”
Aria Askins, of Wyalusing Valley Junior-Senior High School, was impressed with the guests who spent time with the campers over the course of the week. They included professionals in law enforcement, forensic science, law and emergency medical services.
“I came because I wanted… to see different jobs and different opportunities within the police force or within law,” Askins said.
She said that she would be interested in a career in law but was happy to hear from those in positions adjacent to lawyers and police officers.
“There are a whole bunch of opportunities,” Askins said. “[I’m] so grateful for all of them.”