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Historically, the U.S. Air Force Academy produces outstanding leaders. The school is one of the country’s prestigious military academies and prides itself on accepting only the best.
From among many exceptionally qualified applicants, five Ramstein High School seniors are on the verge of joining the ranks of academy cadets. Three students have officially received appointments, while two await final notification. All met the formidable entry requirements of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Seniors Lucas Mireles, Thomas Davey, Matthew Sharpy, Emily Passmore and Hunter Pace competed with applicants across the country to earn a coveted spot at the academy. In order to achieve this, applicants must outshine competitors in areas such as moral character, academics, athletics and leadership. According to www.academyadmissions.com, only about 15 percent of these hopefuls will be offered appointments or invitations to attend.
Three of Ramstein’s selected students proved themselves competitive applicants in part with their involvement in the Air Force Junior ROTC. JROTC is centered around the Air Force core values and is meant to teach students important qualities of a well-rounded citizen and Airman.
Sharpy recognizes his participation in JROTC as a significant advantage to his understanding of military processes, he said.
“It gives you perspective on how a military organization runs,” Sharpy said. “It’s great for teaching leadership skills, and that’s something the academy values. It has helped a lot in that respect.”
Though he is still considering different fields of study, Sharpy is interested in aviation as a future career. Sharpy said he has known since he was young that he wanted to study at the Air Force Academy.
“I’ve grown up around the military, and in my experiences I’ve seen the officers who have come out of the academy. They’re very sharp in everything they do, so you aspire to be like them. Ultimately, it’s something I really wanted to do.”
The passion for the Air Force is also shared by JROTC cadet Passmore, who echoes Sharpy’s admiration for the Airmen she grew up around. Passmore’s enthusiasm for attending the academy is also motivated by her desire to pursue a degree in civil engineering. Her interest in the subject has provided a clear goal for her future career.
“There’s a combat civil engineering squadron called the RED HORSE that builds bridges to transport Army vehicles and make sure there are runways for the aircraft,” Passmore said. “It’s something I would really love to do.”
Mireles, a senior leader of the JROTC detachment at Ramstein High School, is driven by a desire to study aeronautical engineering and earn a pilot slot at the academy. His goal for the future is to fly fighter aircraft.
Like his counterparts, Mireles was inspired to pursue a career in the Air Force because of his military upbringing.
“This has always been my goal,” Mireles said. “It (has) always been the Air Force. I get to serve my nation, and it’s an incredible honor.”
All three JROTC cadets acknowledged that merely applying for the academy was rigorous and highly stressful. The students began the process as early as their junior year of high school in order to meet the requirements, such as the acquiring of a nomination. Nominations are an essential part of the application package and may be obtained by a vice presidential, Congressional, military affiliated, U.S. territory or international nominating authority.
“It was a relief to finally hear back,” Mireles said. “There was a lot of stress leading up to it, so relief is the first thing I felt. Then the excitement kicked in.”
Davey, who won appointments to both the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy, said early preparation for acceptance into the academy is paramount.
“Preparation starts the moment you get into high school. You have to have good grades, you have to be involved in athletics, you have to seek leadership opportunities wherever you can,” he said. “If the academy sees that you’re taking the initiative, it makes it that much easier to be accepted.”
Davey has not yet decided which academy he will attend, but is looking forward to exploring the variety of educational opportunities available at either school. He is interested in aviation as a career but wants to consider other fields as well.
Though the students recognize the difficulties that lay before them, all are prepared to meet the challenge.
“The academy is definitely not an easy school to get through, especially the first year,” Davey said. “But in the end, you get to do the best job in the world.”
