On Saturday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m., the Trenton War Memorial will host the New Jersey National Guard ChalleNGe Youth Program's 21st class graduation ceremonies.  Brig. Gen. Frank Carlini, the Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, is scheduled to deliver the Commencement address.

      The 76 cadets, representing 45 communities from across the Garden State, will celebrate their graduation from ChalleNGe.

      ChalleNGe provides 16-18 year-old New Jersey residents who did not complete high school a second chance at earning a diploma or qualifying for a GED (Graduate Equivalency Diploma).  The program, which is run by the National Guard and is active in 22 states, seeks to identify at-risk teenagers who have dropped out of high school, and gives them the motivation and direction they need to complete their schooling.  Applicants must be New Jersey residents between 16-18 years old, drug-free, and not currently involved in the legal system.

      Cadets participate in a wide variety of activities to include daily physical training, community service and vocational training.  The academic courses emphasize reading, writing, mathematics, computer skills, citizenship and social studies.  Cadets who successfully complete the requirements are eligible to receive a State of New Jersey High School Diploma.

      Following Phase I, the initial 22-week residency phase, cadets are assigned mentors for an additional 12 months to provide continued guidance and direction through a combination of personal visits, e-mails and phone calls.

NJ ChalleNGe Graduates' Hometowns

February 26, 2005

Christopher M. Adorno              Bayonne

Hassan A. Alexander                Plainfield

Anthony D. Armstrong              Plainfield

Melvin C. Baker                       Camden

Rajin M. Barran                        Jersey City

Paul A. Beckford                      Trenton

Angel J. Benjumea                    North Bergen

Ebony Bridges                          Willingboro

Jachelle L. Brown                     Lindenwold

Maurice L. Brown                      Riverside

Ramses R. Brown                      Sewell

Rodney D. Brown                      Lindenwold

Shalonda M. Bullock                  Jersey City

Robert Campbell                       Garfield

Noel Chambers-Brown                Middlesex

Louis D. Chavarry                     Pemberton

Keysha D. Choice                     Sicklerville

Ashley Cioffi                            Westampton

Yetzael Clement                       Paterson

Bernard K. Coleman                   Elizabeth

Christian Contreras                   Linden

Keith A. Conway                       Bayonne

Joshua D. Cook                         Orange

Earl N. Croner                           Hillside

Robert L. Davis-Smith                Maplewood

Latasha L. DeVane                    Browns Mills

Christopher Donohue                  Bayonne

Kevin G. Downing                      Somerset

Fernando Escobar                     Kearny

Michael A. Espinal                     Bayonne

DuJuan A. Favors                      Pennsauken

Preston C. Forster                     New Brunswick

Amire G. Gaddis                        Trenton

Matthew L. Garcia                     Bronx

Janay L. Gaskin                         Roselle

Edwin J. Gomez                         Elizabeth

Samuel K. Gomez                       Jersey City

Tanya L. Gonzalez                     Bayonne

Corey R. Grant                          Newark

Quashawn J. Hairston                 Hillside

Jason R. Holloway                      Pemberton

Crystal A. Johnson                     Sicklerville

Kevin R. Klien                            East Orange

Oswald L. Martinez                     Paterson

Leonardo Matos, Jr.                    Pennsauken

Terrod M. McCallum                    Trenton

Tahira L. McCoy                         Trenton

Cesar A. Mendoza                       Paterson

Lamar C. Meredith                       Orange

Garry E. Moore, Jr.                      Westville

Daniel G. Morales                        Sicklerville

Jarelle Mosley                             Linden

Mitchell O. Moutela                      Elizabeth

Ronald W. Mozell, Jr.                    Orange

Briena N. Novack                         West Orange

Edwin Ortiz, Jr.                            Hillside

Chasworth Otto                           Willingboro

Levi A. Pence                              Burlington

Christian J. Pollard                        Willingboro

Shamaine T. Ponder                      Upper Saddle River

Travis Powell                               Camden

Dexter B. Priester                         Newark

Geovanny D. Procel                      Jersey City

Rondell R. Riddle                           Newark

Frank L. Rojas                              Union City

Juan C. Sanchez                           Perth Amboy

Jose D. Santiago-Rodriguez             Vineland

Nassor I. Slaughter                        East Orange

Robert L. Snyder                           Egg Harbor Twp

Aline Souza                                  Perth Amboy

Matthew M. Studley                       West Milford

Kenneth L. Thomas                        Orange

Josephine M. Vicente                      Bronx

Cliff Virgile                                    Phillipsburg

Aaron C. Walker                            Jersey City