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Utah Department of Corrections graduates Class 362; keynote stresses culture, pride and courage
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Summary
The Utah Department of Corrections celebrated the graduation of Corrections Academy Class 362. Training Captain Chris Crane urged new officers to shape culture, take pride, and speak up; class speaker Melissa Born offered five life lessons, and the department presented awards to top cadets.
The Utah Department of Corrections held a graduation ceremony for Corrections Academy Class 362, where Training Captain Chris Crane and class speaker Melissa Born emphasized professionalism, personal responsibility and the importance of small, steady gains as new officers enter the field.
Training Captain Chris Crane, the ceremony's keynote, told graduates they have the power to "shape a culture around you" and urged them to take "authentic pride" in the profession. "Have the courage to speak up when something isn't right," Crane said, adding that courage sustains standards and accountability in corrections work.
A department staff member led the posting of the colors and introduced Officer Sydney Best, who performed the national anthem, after which the class recited the corrections officers' oath, pledging to live by the peace officers' code of ethics.
Class speaker Melissa Born, chosen by her classmates, framed her remarks as five lessons learned from life and training. She opened with a reminder that "comparison is the thief of joy," urging graduates to measure progress against their own path rather than others'. Born also urged cadets to "step left" to avoid repeated mistakes, to celebrate small wins that lead to bigger achievements, and to let past experiences inform but not define their futures. In closing she asked the class to consider "what price are you willing to pay for your words to matter?" and urged them to "be impeccable with your word."
The department recognized several cadets for outstanding performance: the PT award went to Jaden Manning (UDC), the academic award to Mark McCabe (Duchesne County Sheriff's Office), the professionalism award to Melissa Born (Utah Department of Corrections), and the outstanding cadet award to Max Schumann (Davis County Sheriff's Office).
Event organizers invited leadership teams and representatives from multiple county sheriff's offices and family members of cadets to the front for recognition. The ceremony lasted through closing remarks in which a department staff member encouraged graduates to "do the right thing even when no one is watching." The retiring of the colors followed and the ceremony concluded with attendees wished safe travels.
The graduation marks the completion of the academy's 10-week program for these new corrections officers; the remarks from Crane and Born emphasized ethics, peer support and continual personal improvement as central to the role ahead.
