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Dad gets daughter interested in police work; named Cadet of the Year

By Josh Krysak 2 min read

Seeing her father wear his state police uniform every day while she was growing up, Alexis Smith began to realize that law enforcement might be in her future, too. Then, this summer, Alexis got a firsthand view of what it takes to be a state police officer and the grueling training necessary to become a trooper.

The 13-year-old passed with flying colors.

Smith was named Pennsylvania State Police Troop B Camp Cadet of the Year for her age division after she bested 29 other participants in this year’s camp.

And the bright-eyed student at Benjamin Franklin School in the Uniontown Area School District said it was her father who inspired her to become involved in the camp and her love of physical fitness.

“My dad got me interested,” Alexis said Wednesday at her grandparents’ home on New Salem Road in South Union Township. “To win, I just listened and did what they said and stayed out of trouble. It was a lot of fun.”

Her father, state police trooper Juan Curry, said he could not be more proud of his only daughter.

“She did great, and I was surprised but also I was not surprised when she was named Cadet of the Year,” Curry said.

The camp is a weeklong event that tests camp-goers ability in many physical fitness tests, as well as workshops headed by the FBI, the National Guard, the state police homicide and forensics unit and the state Game Commission.

Smith said she most liked the rope courses, which challenge physical strength and athletic ability.

The camp was held at Raccoon Creek State Park in Beaver County.

It is not the first award for Smith in area competition.

She has competed and won the Mount Summit Challenge in her age division twice and also has earned honors in the John Woodruff 5k Run and Walk in Connellsville and the Francis “Bud” Murphy 5k Run and Walk.

Smith now will compete in a statewide competition held in Hershey between other winners from other troop camps.

Smith said that following the camp visit from the Game Commission, she now is looking forward to combining her love of animals with her desire to protect and serve by working toward a career with the state agency.

“Whatever she wants to be is up to her,” Curry said. “No matter what she wants to do, I support her.”

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