PRYOR — The 32nd class of cadets has graduated from Thunderbird Youth Academy. The 83 cadets were saluted by Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Major General Myles Deering, Oklahoma adjutant general, during a commencement ceremony June 20.

The cadet corps of young men and women hailed from all across Oklahoma.

Thunderbird Youth Academy, located in Pryor, is a National Guard Youth Challenge Program that uses military-style discipline, education and leadership training to provide a life changing experience for its cadets.

Successful candidates complete a 22-week residential phase during which time they can obtain a GED, complete high school credits, and attend college courses at the Pryor Campus of Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. There is no cost to cadets or their families.

Academy Director Jack Ritchie praised the graduating cadets and noted they performed more than 11,000 hours of community service, averaging 139 hours per cadet of service to non-profit and state agencies.

Six of the graduating cadets are joining the military, 22 are entering the work force, and 55 are continuing their education.

Thunderbird Youth Academy is accepting applications from Oklahoma residents for a new class that begins July 12. The program also is recruiting mentors for cadet graduates.

Applicants are eligible if they turn 16 years old by July 27, and do not turn 20 years old prior to Dec. 13, 2009. No tuition is required. Information: 824-4850 or at www.ngycp.org/ok.