166 students enrolled at the Alaska Military Youth Academy celebrated graduation Friday at the Dena'ina Center.
After making it through a 22-week course, the cadets focused on academics through military-style discipline.
"I never really did anything in school, just kind of sat around but now I pay attention more," Elijah Dorshkind, a cadet from Anchorage, said.
The academy has traditionally helped young men and women who were at risk of not finishing a secondary education.
Graduates of the academy still have another year in the program and will implement what they learned in their hometowns. The academy is still looking for people who are 21 and older to help mentor those younger.
"They've accomplished something in life and they have this as touchstone if you will to say, 'I accomplished something," James Jones, Deputy Director with AMYA, said.
Contact Neil Torquiano