More than three dozen students from Northern Virginia graduated from the most recent class of Commonwealth ChalleNGe, a free, statewide quasi-military program for at-risk teens who have dropped out of high school.

More than three dozen students from Northern Virginia graduated from the most recent class of Commonwealth ChalleNGe, a free, statewide quasi-military program for at-risk teens who have dropped out of high school.

On Dec. 18, 38 Northern Virginia teens were among 134 cadets to graduate from Class 33, bringing the total of Virginia teens who have graduated from the program to 3,426 since it started in 1994. Commonwealth ChalleNGe is the Virginia component of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, which focuses on preparing at-risk teens and high school dropouts for the General Educational Development test and future employment, military or higher education opportunities.

Juan M. Rivera, of Falls Church, a former student at J.E.B. Stuart High School, was one of the cadets to graduate.