Jordan Litz plans to follow in her father’s footsteps into law enforcement one day after finishing her education at her preferred college, Michigan State University.

“I would like to be a (state police) trooper when I graduate and also a criminal investigator,” 13-year-old Litz said at the Westmoreland County Camp Cadet Association graduation ceremonies Friday at the Pitt-Greensburg campus.

Litz, who will be an eighth grader in the Burrell School District, grew up in a law enforcement family as the daughter of Master Trooper John Litz, who is stationed at the Greensburg station.

Litz was one of 30 youngsters, ages 12 to 15 from Westmoreland County who received graduation certificates for completing the five-day Camp Cadet Program that state police troopers conducted at the campus last week.

Their experience getting woken up at 5:45 a.m., running in the mornings and doing push-ups, was far different than camps offering a week of fun and games, and making arts and craft.

They were taught about criminal procedures, the arrest process, saw a demonstration of a police dog in action, a motorcycle officer, the use of a drone and a special emergency response team, said Trooper Tristan Tappe, community affairs officer at the Greensburg station and a leader of the Camp Cadet program.

“We’re teaching the kids to believe in themselves, to dig deep into themselves and finish something for themselves,” Tappe said of the students who came from several schools in the county, including Hempfield Area, Derry Area, Burrell, Norwin and Penn-Trafford.

The cadets who started the week “were a sheer mess,” Trooper Lauren Spallone said.

“The 30 disorganized strangers came from a variety of hometowns and schools, backgrounds and dressed in a variety of different ways. In a matter of five days, we transformed them into a cohesive team who walked the camp with a great deal of pride, integrity and respect,” Spallone said. “These cadet now possess qualities that people three times their age may never possess.”

Litz, who was appointed the cadet leader, told her fellow cadets that the camp “taught me to push myself” and that others believed in her, even when she did not have that same belief.

“Discipline is another key to success,” Litz said.

The camp, which has operated for more than 30 years, taught them military discipline, which they displayed as they smartly marched into the building and took their seats, filed in order to get their certificates and turned in unison to face about 200 of their families and friends in the auditorium at the end of the ceremonies to accept a standing ovation.

Not all of the cadets made it through the program that challenged them physically and mentally. One student dropped out because of injury, and five students were dismissed on graduation day because they were unable to complete a 2-mile run, Tappe said.

Litz, a 24-year state police veteran, knows the potential dangers of being a trooper. Last month, a trooper in Juniata County was shot and killed and another critically wounded by a man who was later killed in a gunfight.

“I trust that they will train her appropriately,” Litz said.

Camp Cadet graduate Ava Wentroble, 13, who will be an eighth grader at Hempfield this school year, made her mother “extremely proud” for what she accomplishedk.

“She works hard to overcome anything she puts her mind to,” said Lisa Hinkelman of Hempfield.

But what concerns Hinkelman is Ava’s plans for a career after high school: joining the military and becoming a state police trooper.

“It scares me,” Hinkelman said.

The summer cadet program is focused on those who intend to pursue a career in law enforcement or the military, Tappe said, which fits perfectly for why Brock Mack, 13, a student at Ligonier Valley Middle School, said he wanted to participate in the program.

“I wanted to do this because my family has been in the military for many years,” said the son of Shaun and Suzette Mack of Ligonier, who wants to join the Air Force.

As much as the program gave the youngsters a glimpse of what it would be like to be in law enforcement, not all the cadets who graduated have their sights set on becoming a state police trooper or joining the military.

Rylee Poche, 15, who will be a 10th grader at Hempfield Area High School, said she didn’t know what she getting into when the summer camp started.

She said she found it to be hard, but Poche likely will find any training program for her career goal of becoming “an undercover spy” to be a lot more rigorous.