Twenty-seven law enforcement recruits trained at YC’s Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy have joined the ranks of public safety agencies across Arizona following a traditional swearing-in and badge-pinning ceremony at the Prescott campus earlier this month.

The recruits will join law enforcement agencies locally and as far away as Page and Oro Valley.

In her welcome remarks at the graduation ceremony, YC President Dr. Lisa Rhine thanked the recruits for stepping into a difficult role during uncertain times. “To say that it’s a very difficult time to be a police officer is truly an understatement. Thank you for your selfless decision to protect and serve and to take on the risks and demanding responsibility for all of us to live in a safe and secure community,” Rhine told the graduates.

Addressing his classmates, NARTA Class 55 President Brandon Kalani Kawainui Callio said he was proud and honored to attend the academy alongside them. “Like all families, we may have bickered and disagreed on many things, but we have always been able to come together… no matter how hard some days may have been, we have always pushed forward and accomplished the mission. You have shown great mental, spiritual and physical strength and proven time and time again you deserved to be here,” Callio said.

In his keynote address, Prescott Valley Police Chief Bob Ticer also directly addressed the police academy graduates. He congratulated them for the life of integrity it took for them to volunteer to join the most “noble profession on the face of the earth.” He encouraged the new officers to lean into their field training, seek continuous education, stay physically and mentally sharp and balance their authority with discretion.

Following are the NARTA Class 55 graduates and the police agencies they are joining:

Casey Sky Dragos, Camp Verde Marshal’s Office
Arturo Castillo, Jr., and Jason Tyler Ehlert, Chino Valley Police Department
Victor Esteven Rodriguez, Maricopa Police Department
Richard James Avery, Bradley James Bartell, Jaden Elliot-Kai Berney and Tyler Jon Slim, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office
Ty Matthew Furr and Steele Domingo Salinas, Flagstaff Police Department
Zachary Joseph MacGregor, Jerome Police Department
Michael Andrew Bentley, Oro Valley Police Department
Brandon Kalani Kawainui Callio, Page Police Department
Oscar Molina Teran, Payson Police Department
Christopher Flowers, Nicholas William Hamilton, Douglas Allen Harwood, Nicholas David McKay, Brian Lee Sutton and Luis Alejandro Terrazas, Prescott Police Department
Benjamin Samuel Bruner, Christian Brady Carter, Aaron Joseph Cote and Jennifer Jane Glover, Prescott Valley Police Department
Travis Steven O’Donnal, Ryan Hunter Palmer and Corey James Tousley, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office

Yavapai College operates six campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, a baccalaureate degree, student and community services, and cultural events and activities.

To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu