Cadets march and sing cadence guided by Trooper Karri Dodson and Trooper Carl Puskar, of Pennsylvania State Police Troop P - Wilkes-Barre.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
Discipline, leadership, teamwork and fun on the agenda at PSP’s ‘Camp Cadet’
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From left: Amber Kelly, 14, of Sullivan County; Janaya Henrich, 13, of Bradford County; Rachel Shoemaker, 14, of Mountain Top; and Olivia Spako, 15, of Sullivan County. While all four had different things to offer about their Camp Cadet experience, they were in agreement that meeting new friends was a definite highlight.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
Tyler Matreselova, 14, of Harveys Lake says he decided to take part in Camp Cadet because wanted ‘to experience different career paths and opportunities.’
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
A Pennsylvania State Police pilot shows the Cadets the ins and outs of his helicopter.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
WHITE HAVEN — While students in the 12 to 15 age range are enjoying the final weeks of summer before another year of school begins, a chosen few were instead at Camp Kresge, participating in the Troop P State Police-hosted “Camp Cadet,” learning discipline, leadership, and teamwork, among many other topics.
And while they endure training such as marching, standing at attention, and have the pleasure of early morning workouts, for many of the cadets, meeting new friends and gaining insight into potential career paths was a highlight.
“Push-ups make you smarter,” one trooper reminded a cadet, after the cadet in question asked a fellow trooper for an autograph and called the trooper his favorite instructor.
But it’s all in good fun as the kids gleefully hit the pavement and started pushing.
Tyler Matreselova, 14, of Harveys Lake, said that he decided to apply for Camp Cadet because he was looking for insight into possible career paths. He greatly enjoyed rock-climbing and zip-lining and encouraged others to check it out. Of his favorite part about Camp Cadet, he said, “Honestly, everything. Just being able to experience it. It’s a lot to take in and definitely something to remember.”
Corporal Carmen Yurek was a cadet himself back in 2002 and after joining the Pennsylvania State Police, he saw an opportunity to come back as a counselor. “It’s a great program,” he said, “I’m happy to be a part of it.”
A handful of cadets wear red shirts, in contrast to the others in white. Counselors explained that those cadets had prior experience in the program and “stood out,” showing natural leadership skills, and are hand-picked to come back as junior counselors, two of which will get to attend Honors Camp at the State Police Academy.
In the early afternoon on Thursday, before camp’s close today, a State Police helicopter’s rotors could be heard, as it circled and made its landing in a vast field where just a few hours earlier, cadets were doing bear crawls and relay sprints.
The pilot was a 13-year veteran of the State Police before getting involved with aviation. He explained that when the opportunity presented itself, he volunteered with the adult version of, “Me! Me! Me! Me!” He spoke with the cadets in the shade of a pavilion on a blistering day before leading them out to the field for a close encounter with the bird.
The pilot requested to remain anonymous due to the nature of his work, however, he spoke to the importance of the program.
“It’s important to show them (the cadets) the technology we have with the helicopter and how we can help them if they or their family are in need. And just having that encounter with the kids and showing them we’re here to help … it’s these types of encounters that really make a difference,” he said. He also noted that with the PSP being a larger department than many other states, it’s important for students who might be considering a career in law enforcement to see the different types of special programs that exist within the force, though many require a minimum of three years of service first.
Another group of cadets sat down with a reporter, politely calling him “sir” as they’re taught to do during the weeklong program, to share their thoughts.
“I definitely believe that the best part of camp so far is the people you meet,” said Oliva Spako, 15, of Sullivan County. Rachel Shoemaker, 14, of Mountain Top added, “My favorite part of camp so far is working as a team and having support from everybody that is here and just making new friends.” Janaya Henrich, 13, of Bradford County said that she also enjoyed making friends and, “doing a bunch of different, cool activities and learning a bunch of new things.” And Amber Kelly, 14, of Sullivan County said she liked, “going from not wanting to be here to making a bunch of friends with my platoon and we’ve all grown as a team.”
The group of girls also added, “The troopers here are amazing. They do a great job!” And while there may have been preconceived notions, there was much more fun had than they thought, instead of just, “push-ups and school time and stuff.”
