At ease after their Camp Cadet graduation ceremony on July 26 are (front, from left) Pierce McCarey, Elizabeth Senese, (back) Timothy Senese, Trooper Brianna Hollenbeck, and Ethan Neary
Story by Rick Hiduk / Submitted Photo
(originally published in the Susquehanna County Independent)
Four youths from three Susquehanna County school districts participated last week in Camp Cadet, a six-day experience sponsored by Troop R of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). They were hand-picked and guided throughout the week by Trooper Brianna Hollenbeck, who is assigned to the Troop R barracks at Gibson. It was her eighth year serving as an instructor for Camp Cadet, and she was proud to announce on Friday that all four students graduated from the course.
Camp Cadet offered a mix of classroom presentations and activities on the Marywood University campus, where participants also stayed for the entire week. Each morning began with a run and other physical drills, including calisthenics and relay races. Activities ranged from participating in scenarios faced routinely by police and doing forensics investigation to K9 handling and scuba diving.
According to Hollenbeck, the instructing staff is made up primarily of PSP officers, as well as some local police officers, and officers from the state’s Liquor Control Board and state parole department. The variety of activities and perspectives shared by the instructors are geared to expose the cadets to the vast array of career choices in and associated with law enforcement. Camp Cadet provided a peak into what one would experience at a police academy. The program is not designed to be a “boot camp” despite its pattern of regimen and routine.
“I like a schedule,” said Timothy Senese, Jr. “I don’t like things that are out of order. And I love the morning run.”
Timothy was taking part in Camp Cadet along with his sister, Elizabeth Senese. Both will be attending Susquehanna Community High School this year – Timothy as a sophomore and Elizabeth as a seventh-grader. They are the son and daughter of Timothy and Valerie Senese.
“I didn’t think I’d like all of the marching and formation drills,” Elizabeth related, “but I really do.” Just a day into the program, she noted, dorm assignments had to be shuffled due to several girls going home early for medical and other reasons.
“It’s not for everybody,” said Ethan Neary, son of Dan and Heather Powers, “But you encourage each other to keep going.” Ethan is returning to Mountain View High School next month as a freshman. At this point, he is considering a career in law enforcement or as a firefighter. Ethan especially enjoyed the scenarios presented by instructors on Tuesday, including a traffic stop and an active shooting.
Pierce McCarey, son of Mave McCarey and Adam Kilmer, will attend Montrose Area High School as an eighth grader this fall. His friend’s father is a police officer, his step-father served in the Air Force, and other relatives have served in branches of the military and crime scene investigation (CSI). “I’ve wanted to be in the Army since I was a little kid,” Pierce stated.
Elizabeth is interested in social work or possibly becoming a judge. Her brother is looking at a potential future in engineering.
“Even if they choose an entirely different field than law enforcement, my biggest hope is that graduates of this camp remember the values encouraged at the camp, including respect and integrity,” Hollenbeck maintained. Cadets were required to memorize the PSP Camp Cadet Call of Honor, the last line of which is “I will always conduct myself in such a manner that my honor and the honor of Camp Cadet will be upheld.”
Manners and respect were on display continuously with choruses of “please, thank you, Sir and Ma’am” resounding from the youths, 63 of whom received certificates of attainment during Friday’s graduation ceremony. While discipline and regimen are certainly at the core of the program, Hollenbeck explained that Camp Cadet is neither a boot camp nor a disciplinary endeavor. “Outside of the presentations and exposure to career fields in and around law enforcement the cadets receive,” she related, “our mission is to fine tune leadership skills and teach the importance of teamwork.”
In the evenings and during mealtime, participants had plenty of opportunities to meet students from around the region. According to Pierce, there were two cadets per room and each bathroom was shared by four participants, requiring a quick lesson in time management. “You try to take your shower first and make it quick so you don’t run out of hot water.” Each of the Susquehanna County youths raved about the quality and variety of the food.
“One of the biggest changes we see in our cadets from the time they report on Sunday afternoon until they receive their graduation certificate on Friday night is an increase in their resiliency,” Hollenbeck noted. “The ‘I can’t’ of their first Monday morning PT session turns into determination and shouts of encouragement among the cadets as they come together as a team by the end of the week to face their challenges.”
Hollenbeck just started conducting interviews of applicants last year and is just beginning to get some feedback from youths that she has guided through the program in previous years. After competing in a local 10K race, Hollenbeck encountered a Camp Cadet graduate who told her that program had instilled in them the confidence to join the cross country team at their school and continue running. “I continue to be touched by success stories like that,” she stated.
The four aforementioned youths were selected from this year’s applicants based on the attitudes and determination they brought to the table. “We want kids who show a genuine interest in the program,” Hollenbeck explained. She told the youths she took to Camp Cadet that they were no longer just individuals. “I explained that, this week, they are a reflection of me and a reflection of Susquehanna County.”
She was satisfied with her recruitment this year and looks forward to bringing more students into the program in coming years. For more information, interested readers can contact Hollenbeck at the Gibson PSP barracks, follow the Troop R Cam Cadet Facebook page, or log on to trooprcampcadet.org.
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