RICHMOND – On Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, the Commonwealth will graduate its 142nd generation of Virginia State Troopers. The 48 new troopers will be presented their diplomas during commencement exercises at 10 a.m. at the State Police Training Academy located at 7700 Midlothian Turnpike in North Chesterfield County. The Honorable Glenn Youngkin, Governor of Virginia, will speak at the graduation ceremony.

This graduating class will consist of both traditional trainees and members of what is known as the “Expedited Law Enforcement Certified Academy.” Members of the Expedited Academy are existing law enforcement professionals who have already been certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services and have served at least three years in law enforcement elsewhere in Virginia.

The new troopers have received more than 1,300 hours of classroom and field instruction in more than 100 different subjects, including de-escalation techniques, strategies to assist people in mental health crisis, ethics and leadership, fair and impartial policing, constitutional law, emergency medical trauma care, and public and community relations. The Trooper-Trainees of the 142nd Basic Session began their 28 weeks of academic, physical and practical training at the Academy June 25, 2024. Those Trooper-Trainees participating in the Expedited Academy began their training November 25, 2024.

The soon-to-be graduates of the 142nd Basic Session are from every corner of the Commonwealth, as well as Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, and the country of Japan.

Upon graduation, the new troopers will report to their individual duty assignments across Virginia. For their final phase of training, each trooper will spend an additional six weeks paired up with a Field Training Officer learning his or her new patrol area.

142nd Basic Session Motto: “For Justice We Pursue”

140th BASIC GRADUATING CLASS

 

Name                                                  Hometown                                         Assignment

Carter Allen Ayers                               Lynchburg                                            Arlington

Avery Caiden Ball                                Honaker                                              Wythe

Nicole Karen Berry                              Prince George                                     Goochland

Aaron Shelley Branham, Jr.                Rhoadesville                                        Orange

Alex James Brown                               Roanoke                                              Halifax

Jake Mitchell Brown                           Weedsport, New York                        Campbell

Rachael Leigh Burch                           Quicksburg                                          Page

Benjamin Anthony Capets                  West Springfield                                 Stafford

Odair Rene Castaneda             Forest                                                  Bedford

Nicholas Shawn Clippinger                 Winchester                                          Hanover / Henrico

Jordan Lee Coleman                           Madison Heights                                 Campbell

Mark Jordan Collins                            Wise                                                    Carroll

Kobe Keshawn Copeland                    Virginia Beach                                     Norfolk / Virginia Beach

Blake Lawson Daniels                         Winchester                                          Clarke

Ryan Austin Elliott                              Fluvanna                                              Fluvanna

Taylor Ann Everetts                            Rockland County, New York               Stafford

Tamyia Heaven Fisher                         Richmond                                            Sussex

Travis Scott Fridley, Jr.                        Clifton Forge                                       Highland

Alexander Charles Hamilton               Waldorf, Maryland                             Westmoreland

Peter Cromwell Haughton                  Gloucester                                           Gloucester

Mackenzie Faith Heard                       Suffolk                                                 Norfolk / Virginia Beach

Brandon Joseph Heckelsmiller           Glen Allen                                           Louisa

Michael Nelson Huntsberry                Martinsburg, West Virginia                Rockingham

Brandon Danilo Galindo King             Saint Johns, Florida                             Springfield

Drayven A. Kowalski                            Trenton, New Jersey                           Henrico

Derek Christopher Lee                        Augusta, West Virginia                       Stafford

Andrew Tate McKinney                      Fancy Gap                                           Wythe

Ethan Wayne Medley                         Marion                                                Halifax

Rafael Alexi Mendez                           Newport News                                    Norfolk / Virginia Beach

Charlie Morris Mills, III                       Harrisonburg                                       Augusta

Jacob Crandall Moore                         Interlaken, New York                          Hanover / Henrico

Sean Lucas Nichols                              Yomitan, Okinawa, Japan                   Chesterfield

James Nicholas Packer                        Williamsburg                                      Norfolk / Virginia Beach

Anthony Blake Phillips                        Anacoco, Louisiana                             Henrico

Scotty Lynn Phillips, III                         Big Stone Gap                                     Buchanan

Caleb Andrew Racey                           Madison                                              Stafford

Francis Xavier Radel                            Locust Grove                                       Orange

Stephanie Elizabeth Roberts               Gloucester                                           Mathews

Travis Jubari Slim-Simons                   Nashville, Tennessee                           Fairfax

Toby Scott Somers                              Bowling Green                                    Stafford

Brayden Connor Staib                         Midlothian                                          New Kent

Jonathan David Surran                        Yorktown                                             Norfolk / Virginia Beach

Austin Len Tosh                                   Bedford                                               Amherst

Todd Andrew Trumble                        Goode                                                  Bedford

Shelby John Van Sickle                        Virginia Beach                                     Norfolk / Virginia Beach

Jack Steven Winans                             Winchester                                          Accomack

Jerrod Wesley Worden                       Troutville                                             Franklin

Kian John Zandipour                           Natick, Massachusetts                        Springfield