State Sen. John Velis (far left) joins Louis Brault, the chairman of the American Legion’s Student Trooper program (second from left, a Massachusetts State Trooper (second from right) (far right) and Derek Ruby, a recent graduate of the Student Trooper program, for a donation ceremony on Sept. 26. The donation went to the Legion’s Student Trooper program.
Reminder Publishing photo by Ryan Feyre
SPRINGFIELD — A 35-year-old program just got another boost from state Sen. John Velis during a small gathering on Sept. 26 at the Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Liberty Street.
The Westfield Democrat donated $1,500 to the Massachusetts American Legion to further bolster the Legion’s Student Trooper Program, which teaches people between the ages of 15 and 17 how to administer first aid, criminal law and officer safety.
The program also allows students to participate in demonstrations by state police specialty units, including tactical teams and K-9 units.
“I think this program is really, really important,” Velis said. “Because I think here, in America, in Massachusetts, we don’t have enough people going into this gentleman’s profession. We don’t have enough people going into the military. And I think these programs are absolutely critical because in so many ways they are a pipeline.”
Velis was joined by Massachusetts State Police, a student of the program and the leader of the program during the late September gathering.
In an interview, Louis Brault — the chairman of the youth program at the Legion — said the program is stretched out across five days during the summer. He said the students learn about discipline, laws, tactical information, and receive hands-on experience with state troopers.
In 2025, Brault said the program brought in 75 students, and 69 graduated. He shared that 28 current state troopers were once cadets in the programs.
“The program teaches them integrity, self-reliance, all kinds of stuff,” Brault said.
Readers can learn more about the program by visiting the American Legion website.