BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) -The Bowling Green Police Department held a ceremony this afternoon at The Capitol to swear in graduating cadets who will be moving into their new roles as officers.

Nine cadets graduated from Bowling Green Law Enforcement Academy, including Caelin Burch, Travis Colisao, Julio Delgado, Sarah Epley, Laura Ferguson, Christopher King, Matthew Phillips, Skyler Price and Justin Sanders.

They were all members of Class 7 of the Bowling Green Law Enforcement Academy, which began operation in 2020.

“Each one of us has chosen this path to make a difference, to be a beacon of hope, and to uphold the values that make our society just and safe,” said graduate Matthew Phillips. “Our work will not always be easy, but meaningful, as every challenge we face will contribute to making a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve and uphold the values that we stand for.”

BGPD Chief of Police Michael Delaney said during the presentation that new officers will have days of great joy and great sorrow.

“Your story will unfold and much of your path has yet to be traveled. In the face of danger, I challenge you to be courageous. In the face of a crisis, I encourage you to show compassion. In the face of hardship, I challenge you to be resilient, and to learn from those difficult lessons,” Delaney said.

Friends and family of the cadets joined in to celebrate the occasion with each graduate choosing a loved one to ceremoniously pin their police badge onto their uniform for the first time.

Now that the group has graduated and are fully-fledged officers, they will begin nearly 18 weeks of on-the-job training with an officer before eventually taking to the streets alone.