By Evelín Lopez Gutierrez 

Editorial Editor 

Claire Hicks is a senior at South and has recently been appointed to the United States Air Force Academy. Her biggest drive has been the people surrounding her and the inspiration that they bring her. 

“I’ve met some of the most inspiring people at Blue Springs South, and I want to give back to my school and community by serving the nation that brought me more opportunity and blessings than I ever thought possible,” Hicks says. 

Hicks says she’s most proud of her tenacity regarding the long journey to her acceptance to USAFA.

 “I took the ACT more times than I’d like to admit to get the score I wanted while working part time and being involved at school,” she says. “It was easy to get caught up in the business of it all, but the end result was so worth it.”

Hicks plans to major in civil engineering or behavioral sciences and hopes to become an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force. She says she’s extremely grateful for even being accepted into the Air Force Academy, as it’s insanely competitive. 

“Getting into USAFA is extremely competitive and I couldn’t have done it without the support and opportunity here at South.”