Shea Nolan of Plymouth Meeting and John O’Brien of Conshohocken were among the recent graduates of Montgomery County Community’s College’s Municipal Police Academy. Following the singing of the national anthem by Cadet Tyler Jaworowski of Norristown, Class 1702 had a moment of silence for the Lukens family of Schwenksville, who lost their two sons in a tragic house fire. Bryan Lukens graduated from the Academy in 2012, and works as a Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff.
MCCC President Dr. Kevin Pollock, Montgomery County Commissioner Chair Valerie A. Arkoosh, Commissioner Joseph Gale and North Coventry Township Police Chief Robert Schurr congratulated the graduates.
“You will be the calm before the storm, the voice of reason and the authority that makes things better,” said Schurr, who has been teaching at the Academy for nearly 18 years.
Valedictorian Alexander Pratt, who holds an academic average of 97.6, shared the advice of another instructor, Robert Sands, who is the training coordinator for Abington Township Police Department.
“Do good, stop bad and go home,” Pratt said to his fellow cadets and the guests who filled the auditorium to capacity. “Do good – we must never let go of doing good and treat everyone with respect and dignity. Stop bad – we are warriors who look evil in the eye and never back down. Go home – we promise to go home to our loved ones every day.”
For its service project, Class 1702 raised $3,000 for Abington Township’s K-9 Officer Bryan Rickards, a 1997 graduate of the Academy who is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). The cadets held a “Jail & Bail” fundraiser event and silent auction at P.J. Whelihan’s Pub & Restaurant in Blue Bell to raise the funds. Abington’s Chief John A. Livingood accepted the check on his behalf.
Graduates included Michael Archutowski, Montgomeryville; Ryan Crescenzo, Holland; Layla Cruz, Macungie; Christopher Daly, Chesterbrook; Felicia DelliGatti, Collegeville; Kyle Gallen, New Britain; Daniel Gilbert, Upper Darby; Stephen Hickey, Chesterbrook; Tyler Jaworowski, Norristown; Samantha Kaisinger, Langhorne; Sarah Kallatch, Perkasie; Sean Kelly, Horsham; Matthew Kopenits, Langhorne; Connor Kreston, Horsham; John-Michael Laraio, Douglassville; Tyler McGuigan, Limerick; Keith McKay, Harleysville; Alexis Miller, Spring City; Benjamin Moller, Warrington; Evan Nafziger, Pottstown; Shea Nolan, Plymouth Meeting; John O’Brien, Conshohocken; Matthew Oliver, Harleysville; Morgan Pfaff, Wyncote; Alexander Pratt, Ambler; Thomas Reinhardt, Quakertown; Thomas Rolon, Lansdale; Thomas Schiliro, King of Prussia; Veronica Schimpf, Worcester; Ryan Sloan, Pottstown; Nathaniel Smyrl, Hatfield; Michael Tantorno, Richlandtown; Nicholas Vuotto, King of Prussia; Zachary Wedemeyer, Schwenksville; Alexander Weldie, Trevose; and Lee Yochum, Hatboro.