GRAND ISLAND — Oconto resident Wryleigh Doyle was one of 56 cadets of the 50th Junior Law Academy who completed a week of training and experiences to get a glimpse of what it takes to be a Trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP).
Wryleigh Doyle of Oconto was one of the graduates and described the week as an amazing experience.
“The experience was amazing, it gave me the opportunity to see the inner workings of the State Patrol along with other law enforcement agencies. The four-day program was jam-packed with exciting activities that gave us the chance to test ourselves along with our teamwork abilities,” Doyle said.
Junior Law is organized by the American Legion Department of Nebraska and is held annually at the NSP Training Academy in Grand Island. The cadets receive instruction from current troopers and take part in presentations on many facets of NSP operations.
“We have a number of troopers within NSP today who are graduates of Junior Law,” said Captain Jeff Roby, Commander of the NSP Training Academy. “These cadets display the drive to succeed that will propel them well into their senior year of high school and eventually in their career. We’d love to see some of them become troopers in the future.”
Doyle will be a senior at Callaway Public Schools this fall. She does not know what her future plans are at this time, but knows numerous opportunities are available to her after the Junior Law program.
“It was quick-paced and a once-in-a-life-time opportunity that many others will never get the chance to experience. I’m not exactly sure what I plan to do in the future, but Jr. Law Cadet Definitely gave me a good idea of my options,” Doyle said.
28 girls and 28 boys graduated from the 50th Junior Law Academy during a ceremony in June. NSP and the American Legion also honored several of the top performers during the week-long academy.
Doyle earned the 2018 Driver Award and said shooting and driving were some of her favorite activities. When commenting on the hardest part of the program, she said it was making her bed!
“My favorite part of the program would have to be the testing of our shooting and driving abilities. The most difficult part of this program, believe it or not, was making our beds. We woke up early and our rooms had to be inspection-ready for the rest of the day. If you came back to your room after lunch and your bed was flipped, then you would know your corners weren’t good enough or you had a wrinkle in your sheets,” she said.
2018 Overall Recruit Award: Noah Thede – St. Paul, Haley Long – Lincoln
2018 Marksmanship Award: Niklaus McMann – Seward, Chayten Baumann – Kearney
2018 Driver Award: Tyler Bartels – Tecumseh, Wryleigh Doyle – Oconto
Applications for the 51st Junior Law Academy, scheduled for June 2019, will be made available in the coming months. The academy is open for 30 boys and 30 girls who are preparing for their senior year of high school.
