35 new Minnesota State Troopers were sworn-in Friday as part of the state patrol's 68th and 69th training academies.
Interim State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic addressed the graduates.
"We must never stop attempting to achieve excellence," Bogojevic said. "We do this by approaching each day with a mindset focused on making it better than the previous."
Bogojevic, who succeeds retiring Col. Matt Langer, has been with the department for two decades.
"Support doesn't just come in tragedy," she says. "You will feel it from each other in your day-to-day work. You will feel it from the troopers you work with on the road, all the way up to your supervisors. You will have the support from agencies you work with, as we cannot do this work alone."
Graduates included traditional and Experienced Traffic Safety Officer Program and Law Enforcement Training Opportunity program applications (LETO).
LETO program provide education and training to candidates who have a two or four-year degree, but no law enforcement experience.
Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan recalled a situation where she had crashed her car, only to be helped out almost immediately by a state trooper.
"The work the state patrol does every day is incredibly important," Flanagan said. "Those moments when we are frightened and afraid, they are a calming voice. Those superheroes that go in to ensure that we are safe."
Following Friday's graduation, cadets will attend additional training at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension before starting field training with another trooper. Following successful completion of field training, they will begin their solo patrols on July 24.