The Minnesota State Patrol is proud to welcome 42 new troopers following the successful completion of its 70th academy at Camp Ripley. The graduation ceremony — held Tuesday, April 22 — marks a historic milestone: It’s the first time since 1977 that every cadet who began the academy has made it to graduation.

“Those that are chosen to attend academy are the best of the best,” Gov. Tim Walz said. “When you have the title Minnesota State Patrol trooper, there are few jobs in this state that hold the same amount of respect.”

Over the past 14 weeks, the cadets underwent rigorous training in crash investigation, emergency vehicle operations, traffic law, de-escalation techniques, mental health crisis response and more.

The class includes 21 traditional cadets and 21 who completed the Law Enforcement Training Opportunity (LETO) program, which supports those entering law enforcement with degrees in unrelated fields.

“The road ahead will challenge you,” Col. Christina Bogojevic told the graduating class. “In 2024, we saw a significant rise in fatal crashes across our state. It’s a painful reminder of why this work matters.”

Among the full list of graduates are individuals with powerful personal stories:

• Jacob Angell joined after losing his brother in a crash and hopes to prevent similar tragedies.
• Jake Savat, a longtime State Patrol dispatcher, transitioned to trooper through the LETO program.
• Cole Neubauer, a Navy Reserves intelligence specialist and former officer, was inspired after a colleague was injured by an impaired driver.
• Hsa Lar, once a refugee in Thailand, now seeks to serve his new home.
• Sasha Schmidt was moved to apply after aiding in the response to the tragic death of Pope County Deputy Joshua Owen.
• Mirna Lopez Chavez, who overcame family hardships, wants to build bridges between law enforcement and the Hispanic community.

The new troopers will now enter field training before beginning solo patrols across Minnesota.