Olympia– Cadets from the Washington State Patrol’s 107th Trooper Basic Training Course are one step closer to becoming fully-commissioned troopers.
April 25th marked the first day of celebrations for these 49 cadets. Starting with a badge pinning ceremony and open house for family and friends; the excitement for tomorrow’s graduation at the Capitol Campus was evident in everyone’s smiling faces.
Several of the graduates also received awards at the open house for their achievement in driving, firearms, fitness, tactics, academics, and more! The award recipients are:
Top Driving Award: Trooper Brent P. Ashton
Top Firearms Award: Trooper Nathaniel R. Dawson
Top Fitness/Top Control Tactics Award: Trooper Jacob C. Pont
Top Academic Award: Trooper Brent P. Ashton
Top Collision Investigation Award: Trooper Bryce C. Schramm
Top Overall Cadet Award: Trooper Christopher T. Huhta
The Washington State Patrol is proud to welcome these new officers to its ranks, but these cadets didn’t get to where they are without both encouragement and challenges along the way.
Tomorrow’s graduation follows more than 1,000 hours of rigorous training which included undergoing everything from being sprayed with Pepper Spray to learning Washington State laws.
Here are some of their stories:
While these three stories shed light on the reality of a life in law enforcement, the other 46 cadets all have their own reason that drove them to answer the call for service.
For some, working in this profession is a family affair. The following cadets have relatives who work or have worked in law enforcement:
| Cadet | Relationship | Agency |
| Phillip Berg | Brother-in-law | WSP |
| Chelsea Dehart | Father | WSP |
| Thomas Harms | Grandfather | Burlington Northern RR PD |
| Christopher Huhta | Uncle | Longview PD |
| Jeffrey Isaac | Father-in-law | Spokane County SO |
| Thomas Mergargle | Brother-in-law | Seattle PD |
| Cody Pratt | Uncle | California Highway Patrol |
| Steven Spaude | Father | Immigration and Customs Enforcement |
| Eyzik Sporleder | Step-father | Post Falls Idaho PD |
| Jonathan Tyler | Father | Seattle PD and Chief of Police for Indo, CA PD |
| Nolan Washington | Father
Grandfather |
King County SO
Seattle PD |
Tomorrow’s official graduation ceremony will take place at the Legislative Building Rotunda, starting at 2 p.m. We understand that not everyone can make the trip to Olympia for the graduation, but don’t worry…whatever your situation, we’ve got you covered. We’ll be live-streaming tomorrow’s graduation on Facebook and Twitter as well as giving you behind-the-scenes looks and interviews on Instagram. However you want to tune in, we thank you for your support and look forward to sharing this special event with you.
