College Beat
A Latina Experience at the
U.S. Air Force Academy
C2C Ketanny Alves
CWOC Superintendent
Squadron 40 “Warhawks”
Class of 2019 Secretary
C/Alves receiving shoulder boards after the
completion of Basic Cadet Training in 2015.
build homes with Habitat for Humanity,
meeting the U.S. Air Force’s first Latina
general, marching and representing
USAFA in the Colorado Springs Veteran’s
Day Parade, and attending the 14th
National Latina Symposium. This past
summer USAFA sent me and other
cadets to learn and train alongside Military
Growing up in an Irish Catholic
neighborhood I started my journey
at the United States Air Force
Academy (USAFA) in June of 2015; now
as I approach the end of my first semester
of junior year, I reflect on the opportunities
USAFA has given me by recognizing my hard
work and motivating me to finish strong.
Hailing from Elizabeth, New Jersey, a densely
Hispanic community, I found it was rather
difficult transitioning to a place that was not
at all like home. I was very much homesick
during my first year here as our dining
facility, Mitchell Hall, does not serve ceviche
or arepas, staples my family incorporated
into our daily life. The people I lived with did
not speak “Spanglish” nor did they share
the same traditions and customs. What
made the biggest impression on me was the
fact that many of my peers do not share the
experience of being a first generation
American. My transition from arriving to
thriving at USAFA has not been easy, but
this institute symbolizes the approach that
allows me to overcome all barriers in my life.
USAFA doesn’t see color or tolerate
discrimination against anyone. The diverse
and accepting culture offers just and equal
opportunities to all cadets based on their
performance and work ethic alone. I pay
tribute to my background, which makes
my experience uniquely my own, by
pursuing a major in Foreign Area Studies
with a focus on Latin America, and
completing two independent minors for
two languages, Spanish and Portuguese.
USAFA has presented me with so many
opportunities that I could not have
experienced anywhere else. The most
memorable events were: marching and
representing USAFA at the Inauguration
Day Parade for the United States’ 45th
President, traveling to both California and
Louisiana during Spring Break to help
Training Instructors at Lackland Air Force
Base, TX. This opportunity allowed me
to learn more about the Air Force’s enlisted
Basic Military Training and develop and
shape my leadership style to implement
both here at USAFA and in my active duty
Air Force career. At USAFA, I am a
member of the Hispanic Heritage
Club which consists of Hispanic and
non-Hispanic cadets that spend a great
deal of time together learning about each
other’s heritage and stories. Essentially,
it provides me a way to experience a
“home away from home” atmosphere
as we are a tight knit community
supporting one another through our
shared appreciation of culture.
I proudly wear “U.S. Air Force” across
my heart physically on my uniform, but I
will always celebrate and continue to share
my Ecuadorian and Portuguese roots within
and through my actions every day. I take
great pride in being a Latina at USAFA and
it has been quite the privilege to tell people
my story and all that I have learned. LS
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C/Alves participating in USAFA's soaring program.
40 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 23, No. 6, 2017