Ashlie Steel:

Freshman Year – I went to a different high school on the east coast, in South Carolina. I was always on time to all of my classes, at that school we had bells that sounded the end of class (unlike Air Academy, where you are expected to know the schedule). We had a block schedule. I was terrified, I was so scared of high school that I remembered crying on the first day. On the first day of high school, an 18-year old started flirting with me… He asked how old I was, found out it was illegal to be in a relationship with me and walked away. I moved here, Colorado Springs, in the middle of my sophomore year. It was like the first day of freshman year all over again. Unlike most freshman, I was never prepared for class.

Senior Year – I now go to Air Academy High School, and plan on graduating this year, 2017. I am attending UCCS, with a desire to major in education and minor in theater. As school has progressed, I have become a lot more laid back. It’s very much like a roller coaster. The top of the ride is freshman year, it all goes down hill for there on out.

Gelsomina Gargiulo:

Freshman Year – I was extremely scared of high school. It was a new experience, I’m still not sure if I liked it more or less than junior high. My elementary years were my best by far. Finding my way around the school was daunting and I had no one to ask for help to find my way around.

Senior Year – As senior year comes to an end I can definitely say that I have become more social and have more friends. I am still a good child that makes it to every class on time and turns in all her work and I don’t plan on changing. In high school you get to make and have new experiences that you wouldn’t elsewhere, for that I am grateful.

Holy Rieping:

Freshman – I honestly didn’t know what to expect from high school, even though both of my older brothers had gone through Air Academy before me. I had no idea what I wanted to do for extracurricular activities or what major I wanted to do in college. I just wanted to focus on academics and joined Forensics to help me with my self-confidence. I hadn’t found my place in Air Academy or the world yet, but that’s okay as a freshman.

Senior – So much has changed since freshman year! I started taking concurrent enrollment classes in computer science at Pikes Peak my sophomore year and started volunteering at Starbase Academy the same year. I was on the red carpet of the world premiere of Captain America: Civil War in my junior year after I built a solar-powered, internet-free computer. I even spent four days in Disney World with Steve Harvey as part of the Disney Dreamers Academy this year. Although, the highlight of my senior year may actually be the day I got into MIT. I’ve had some amazing things happen since freshman year, and none of them would have been possible without the dedication to academics that Air Academy allowed me to have through every rough patch I hit. Looking back, I’m grateful for everything that I’ve been through and I’m so glad that I took advantage of the academic opportunities Air Academy gave me.