BY EARLESHA BUTLER                                                         Hattiesburg American 

Cadet Robert P. Woodall's past as a high school dropout was nothing more than a bad memory as he graduated valedictorian from the state's Youth Challenge program on Saturday.

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Ben Piper
Hattiesburg American

Valedictorian Jose Jimenez had looked forward to Saturday - his graduation from the Mississippi National Guard Youth Challenge Academy.

But Jimenez still longed for days when he was young.

"Graduation is something we all look forward to," he said.

"But now that the day is here, I wish I was a kid again," Jimenez said.

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